RFE/RL To Broadcast To Abkhazia, South Ossetia

October 07, 2009
PRAGUE -- Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) has announced plans to launch daily broadcasts to the breakaway Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia beginning in November. The 60-minute daily program will be produced by journalists in RFE/RL's Prague headquarters and correspondents in Georgia (including South Ossetia and Abkhazia) and Russia. The new broadcasts will be in Russian and will be available on shortwave radio frequencies every day in the evening. Broadcasts may also be available on FM frequencies. The broadcasts will include news and features and will be interactive with listeners. A website known as "Caucasus Echo" will debut simultaneously with the first broadcasts in November. The web presence will be optimized for dial-up connections, which predominate in the region. The new program's major objective is reconciliation among people in the regions and the bridging of different viewpoints expressed by the parties to the processes in the region.

(Source : RFE/RL)

Community Radio Station to Start at Dharamshala Cantt.

Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India has signed a Grant of Permission Agreement with Tibetan Children's Village School for establishing, maintaining and operating a Community Radio Station at Dharamshala Cantt. Himachal Pradesh. Letter of Intent had been issued to the organization 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 58 in the country.

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

The Tibetan Children's Village School at Lower Dharamshala was established in 1984. Its CRS will focus on programs on developmental, agricultural, health, educational, environmental, social welfare and community development issues.

(Press Information Bureau, Govt of India)

Dxers Unlimited's mid week edition 6-7 Oct 2009

Dxers Unlimited's mid week edition 6-7 Oct 2009
Radio Havana Cuba
By Arnie Coro
Radio Amateur CO2KK

http://dxersunlimited.blogspot.com/2009/10/radio-havana-cuba-dxers-unlimiteds-mid.html

Prasar Bharati: Bharat ki Awaz?

Prasar Bharati is coming up with a slew of measures to revive its falling fortunes, but will it be able to tackle bureaucracy and legacy issues...
GAGANDEEP KAUR
Thursday, October 01, 2009

More at :
http://voicendata.ciol.com/content/service_provider/109100105.asp

New Frequency for VOA Urdu

Sun, 27 Sep 2009
Effective 28th September VOA Urdu service is moving on to 6100 kHz at 0000-0100 hrs replacing 9515 kHz due to propagation from Sri Lanka relay station.

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

BBC drama series on All India Radio

Indiantelevision.com Team
(6 October 2009 6:55 pm)
MUMBAI: BBC World Service Trust in India will roll out a FM radio drama series in Hindi titled Life Gulmohar Style, designed to promote gender equality and empowerment of women on 7 October. The 156 episodes radio drama will broadcast on five of All India Radio's FM Rainbow stations including those from Delhi, Mumbai, Jalandhar, Lucknow and Kanpur every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 7.30-7.45 pm.

Read the full story here :
http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k9/oct/oct53.php

FEBC in emergency response after storms

As disasters piled up all across FEBC's broadcast areas in the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia this week, staff struggled to keep the radio broadcasts on air to guide those in crisis.

In the Philippines, Ella and Peter McIntyre (Feba UK staff working with FEBC since 1988) witnessed the storm damage from Typhoon Ketsana and FEBC in action. Ella writes: “Many of our own broadcasters and colleagues were directly affected themselves. Church property washed away, homes damaged, possessions destroyed. At one bridge near FEBC, a bulldozer scooped up the mountain of black mud – poking out of the pile, a rolled up carpet, an armchair. Pitiful evidence of a home completely swept into oblivion.”

FEBC swung into well-practised crisis mode. DZAS (our local community radio station) was back on air by Sunday, bringing comfort and practical advice to many. DZFE (our other Manila-based FM station) is also functioning as a coordination and distribution centre for aid.

Flood waters poured into the FEBC short wave installation building in Bocaue, Philippines, with 4 high-powered transmitters that broadcast to 54 language groups of Asia (36 hours total daily). These were taken off air for a few days, while staff worked around the clock to clear the mud and dry out the equipment, even before their own homes, in order to restore broadcasts as early as possible. By Thursday the transmitters were back in action, with no permanent damage.

Radio comes into its own in emergencies as a source of information: a familiar voice sharing clear facts rather than rumours, calmly and compassionately cutting through the chaos and confusion, letting our listeners know they are not alone, or forgotten, and offering a place to call to let the authorities know where to direct help.

Ella tells this story of a Filipino lady, showing her resilient spirit amidst the tragedy. When asked how her family fared with Typhoon Ketsana, the lady said: “We are fine. The good thing is, there are plenty of fish to catch!”

Register Now - HamfestIndia 2009

Dear Fellow Hams & SWLs,

The 18th Hamfest in India, HamfestIndia 2009 and Bangalore Amateur Radio Club (BARC) - VU2ARC Golden Jubilee Celebrations is just round the corner. The event being conducted in Bangalore this year and is scheduled for Saturday-Sunday, 7 & 8 November 2009. The venue is Sri Nijagunara Kshetra, Bull Temple Road, Bangalore. We welcome all Hams and SWLs to be part of this Festival in Bangalore with your family and friends.

To encourage advance registration as delegates and to help us plan the overall logistics to ensure that the whole function goes according to plan we request you to register early and encourage us with your support.

Advance registraton by way of sending cheque or DD is Rs.450/- for all Hams & SWLs and Rs.350/- for accompanying spouse & children each. More information is at www.hamfestindia.com

Please note that the "Spot Registration" on 7 & 8 November 2009 will be Rs.600/- for all Hams & SWLs and Rs.350/- for accompanying spouse and children each.

Please call 9845355773 for any further clarification.

73

Ramesh Kumar
VU2LU
Member, Organising Committee
HamfestIndia 2009
Cellphone: 91-9845057731

Community Radio Station to start at Mumbai

Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India has signed a Grant of Permission Agreement for establishing, maintaining and operating a Community Radio Station at Union Park Residents Association, Khar Bandra, Mumbai. Letter of Intent had been issued to the Institute after recommendations of Inter Ministerial Committee and seeking requisite clearances from various Ministries. The Community Radio Station is expected to be operational within three months as per the agreement. With this, the number of CRS will increase to 57 in the country.

“JAGO MUMBAI” as the Community Radio Station will generate awareness for demo centers for composting and vermiculture, rainwater harvesting and solar power. The vision is to empower the community Radio Station, awareness and motivation to understand and carry out their civic responsibilities and to proactively participate in their all round development and as well as protection of environment. The proposed Community Radio Station will create awareness and motivate the surrounding community Radio Station cleanliness, health and sanitation, environment, waste management, conservation of water and electricity. It’s intended to empower, unearth and showcase community Radio Station provide a network for social interface resulting in self - development. .

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

(Press Information Bureau, Govt. of India)

No More Printed Schedule or QSL Cards from Radio Sweden

The start of the new transmission period for short and medium wave, as well as satellite, on October 25, Radio Sweden will only be publishing our broadcast schedule on the Web. This is a logical consequence of the increasing importance of the Internet as a broadcast platform and because we have stopped broadcasting our own programs in Swedish. At the same time we are simplifying our marketing and audience services.Listeners to our programs will find the schedules for all our languages under the heading “Frequencies/Tider och frekvenser” on the SR International homepage. When necessary and by request we will also continue to mail printed versions of our schedules in Swedish and other languages. Listeners can also contact Swedish Radio’s Listener Service department with requests. At the same time we are discontinuing mailing QSL cards to listeners in response to reception reports.

Ingemar Löfgren

Head of SR International

(Source : Radio Sweden via T.R.Rajeesh)

Community Radio Station to Start at Namakkal, Tamil Nadu

Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India has signed a Grant of Permission Agreement for establishing, maintaining and operating a Community Radio Station at K.S. Rangaswamy Educational Institutions, Namakkal, Tamilnadu. Letter of Intent had been issued to the Institute after recommendations of Inter Ministerial Committee and seeking requisite clearances from various Ministries. The Community Radio Station is expected to be operational within three months as per the agreement. With this, the number of CRS will increase to 56 in the country.
The Community Radio will strengthen the reach of basic education in the area in and around Tiruchengode municipal panchayat. The broad objectives of the CRS are to empower women to become independent and carve a niche in the public, to bring awareness and to reach zero level in AIDS control, and also to cater to the intellectual and technological needs of rural students. The Ministry encourages setting up the Community Radio Stations as it promises to provide an opportunity to the local communities to express themselves, share their views and particularly empower the women.

(Press Information Bureau, Govt of India)

AIR’s External Services turn 70 on 1st October, 2009

Jose Jacob, VU2JOS

The External Services Division of All India Radio, India’s cultural ambassador to the world will be 70 years old on October 1, 2009. The External broadcasts were started on October 1, 1939 by the then British Government to counter the propaganda of the Nazis directed at the Afghan people. The first broadcasts were in Pushto beamed to Afghanistan and the then North West Frontier Province. Soon broadcasts were started in Dari, Persian, Arabic, English, Burmese, Japanese, Chinese, Malay, French etc.

The External Services today broadcast in the 27 languages (16 foreign and 11 Indian languages) with a total program out put of 70.25 hrs. per day (on MW & SW).

The foreign languages are: Arabic, Baluchi, Burmese, Chinese, Dari, English, French, Indonesian, Nepali, Persian, Pushtu, Russian, Sinhala, Swahili, Thai and Tibetan. The Indian languages are: Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Punjabi, Saraiki, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu.

The maximum duration is the Urdu Service to Pakistan round the clock on DTH and on Short Wave / Medium Wave for 12.15 hrs while the English broadcasts to various parts of the world called “General Overseas Service” are there for 8.15 hrs. During the Haj season, there are special broadcasts in Urdu beamed to Saudi Arabia but I do wonder if the pilgrims carry any radioes with them. The External Services of AIR is even broadcast to Europe in the new broadcasting mode DRM (Digital Radio Mondial).

These transmissions are broadcast by the High Power Transmitters located at Aligarh, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Gorakhpur, Guwahati, Mumbai and Panaji on Short Waves and from Jalandhar, Kolkata and Tuticorin on Medium Waves. Some of these transmitters are of 1000 kW and 500 kW power. Programs are beamed to different areas of the world except to the Americas but it is often heard there by many radio hobbyists.

In each language service a composite program is presented consisting of news bulletin, commentary, press review, talks on matters of general and cultural interest, occasional feature programmes and documentaries, Indian music as well as music of the area concerned. Most of the programs originate in the New Broadcasting House located in Delhi with a few originating at Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jalandhar, Kolkata, Mumbai, Thiruvanthapuram and Tuticorin.

The External Services Division of AIR has been a vital link between India and rest of the world, especially with those countries where there are Indian emigrants and people of Indian origin. It projects the Indian point of view on matters of national and international importance and demonstrates our way of life through its various programs.

Beautiful QSL cards are issued to the radio hobbyists from time to time by AIR in New Delhi for reception reports of their broadcasts. These are very much sought after by international radio hobbyists.

With the other choices in the media scene like Internet and TV, the number of listeners for Short Wave broadcasting has drastically dropped. That along with high cost of running broadcasts and also changes in political equations has prompted many countries to cut short or even completely abandon their External broadcasts.

It must be mentioned here that the AIR broadcasts to China in Chinese and Tibetan are jammed by the Chinese authorities. Added to this the ageing problems of transmitters and its maintanance, interference from other broadcasting stations due to improper coordination of frequencies etc. hampers the good efforts of AIR.

However it is business as usual for All India Radio’s External Services for the time being.

Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation launches satellite broadcasting

Thursday, 01 October 2009 07:24

Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation will commence satellite broadcasting today. It will be launched under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Deputy Director General Engineering H.M. Jackson says the City FM, Commercial, Thendral and English Service will have satellite broadcasting from today. It has been made possible by Dialog Telecom. It is expected that the listeners would get a clear broadcasting signal by this transmission. Meanwhile, SLBC will launch another Tamil language broadcasting service from Irattaperiyakulam to the benefit of the people in the north.

(Source : SLBC)

Community Radio Station to Start at Gurgaon, Haryana

Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India has signed a Grant of Permission Agreement with The Restoring Force (TRF) a Gurgaon based voluntary organization. TRF would establish, maintain and operate a Community Radio Station at Gurgaon, Haryana. Letter of Intent had been issued to the organization 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 55 in the country.

The Restoring Force (TRF) intends to work all over the country, primarily in the field of education. The focus of TRF is to provide clean & healthy environment at schools along with basic facilities to improve the quality of education by modern means of learning and to grant relief and assistance to the needy during natural calamities such as famine, earthquake, flood, fire, persistence, etc and to give donations and other assistance to institutions, establishment or persons engaged in such relief work.

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

(Press Information Bureau, Govt of India)

DX India completes 8 years

Dx India reflector group which specialises exclusively on broadcasting in India completed 8 years of existence today. It was started on October 1, 2001 to exchange the latest information on the broadcasting scene in India. On this occassion Jose Jacob, VU2JOS founder of DX India thanked all the members of the group and other dx reflectors and dx organisations for their support.

Group Email Addresses :

Related Link: www.qsl.net/vu2jos

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