- DRM responds to Brazil's Ministry of Communications public notice for trials on digital radio systems
- DRM writes to South Africa
- Korea : 21st edition of KOBA (Korean Broadcasting Engineer & Technicians Association) Exhibition & Conference
- Chilean broadcasters hear about DRM
- DRM presence during Broadcast Asia
- IBC DRM: The Digital Journey to showcase at IBC 2011
http://obits.syracuse.com/obituaries/syracuse/obituary.aspx?n=robert-d-arnold-bob&pid=152522599
73--
Marie Lamb
DXing with Cumbre
(Via ODXA List)
Alokesh Gupta comments : Shocked to hear about this ......personal loss for me, he was a good friend of mine & all these years of moderating cumbre dx email list he always responded swiftly whenever there was a problem. My deepest sympathies & I very deeply regret the loss but am compelled to accept that being humans we all have to surrender to the inevitable and all good things must come to an end. "May he attain Eternal Bliss !"
The 98 barrels containing an estimated 2,000 tonnes of high explosive had been stored for two years in the open, in temperatures of up to 102F (40C), despite concerns of officers from the Cypriot National Guard. The explosion at the Evangelos Florakis Naval Base, on the southern coast of the island near the town of Zygi, happened shortly before 6am local time. Fire services had been called to a blaze at the base, apparently in the brush, at 4.24, but the flames enveloped two of the barrels, setting off the blast. The shock wave could be heard 40 miles away in the capital, Nicosia. The country's defence minister and military chief both resigned in the wake of the explosion, which also injured 62 people.
Television footage showed the walls stripped from the power plant at Vassilikou, next to the base, which supplies more than half Cyprus's electricity. The authorities urged residents to cut down their use of both electricity and water, since much of the island's drinking supplies comes
from desalination plants.
Also affected by the power outage was a BBC relay station, six of whose transmitters, broadcasting English-language services to the Middle East, were disrupted. . .
(via Chuck Albertson, Glen Hauser, DXLD List )
In his address to RFA's staff, the Dalai Lama spoke about the value of democracy, freedom, and civil law, citing education as the key to ensuring those principles to endure. The Dalai Lama said RFA is "extremely helpful" and lauded its services for their contribution in working to "educate people who have no freedom of information."
The spiritual leader also spoke about the crises and turmoil in recent years in mainland China facing Uyghurs, Tibetans, and more recently people living in Inner Mongolia, referring to them as "brothers" in their challenges.
RFA's exclusive interview was webcast live on its Mandarin and Tibetan sites, and made available online and via shortwave and satellite to listeners in China. The Nobel laureate is in Washington for the 11-day Buddhist Kalachakra ritual, which concludes this week.
(Press Release)
Read the full story here :
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/174820/247-news-channel-part-plans.html
Full story at :
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8617678/Government-still-wont-commit-to-digital-radio-switchover-date.html
More at :http://righttowork.org.uk/2011/07/nuj-members-to-strike-at-bbc-on-15th-july/
More at : http://tinyurl.com/6zxky5v
(VOA Press Release)
The Union Cabinet in its meeting today has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to approve of the 'Policy Guidelines on Expansion of FM radio broadcasting services through private agencies (Phase-Ill)'. Cabinet has also cleared the proposal
of the Ministry for conducting ascending e-auction, as followed by Department of Telecommunications for the auction of 3G and BWA spectrum, mutatis-mutandis, for award of license of FM Channels, as recommended by the GoM on Licensing Methodology for FM Phase-Ill.
FM Phase-Ill Policy extends FM radio services to about 227 new cities, in addition to the present 86 cities, with a total of 839 new FM radio Channels in 294 cities. Phase -III policy will result in coverage of all cities with a population of one lakh and above with private FM radio channels.
Salient features of the approved Policy for Phase-Ill as against Phase-11 are as under;-
i) Radio operators have been permitted carriage of news bulletins of All India Radio.
ii) Broadcast pertaining to the certain categories like information pertaining to sporting events, traffic and weather, coverage of cultural events, festivals, coverage of topics pertaining to examinations, results, admissions, career counselling, availability of employment opportunities, public announcements pertaining to civic amenities like electricity, water supply, natural calamities, health alerts etc. as provided by the local administration will be treated as non-news and current affairs broadcast and will therefore be permissible.
iii) The limit on the ownership of Channels, at the national level, allocated to an entity has been retained at 15%. However channels allotted in Jammu & Kashmir, North Eastern States and island territories will be allowed over and above the 15% national limit to incentivise the bidding for channels in such areas;
iv) Private operators have been allowed to own more than one channel but not more than 40% of the total channels in a city subject to a minimum of three different operators in the city.
v) FDI+FII limit in a private FM radio broadcasting company has been increased from 20% to 26%;
(vi) Networking of channels will be permissible within a private FM broadcaster's own network across the country instead of in 'C' and 'D' category cities only of a region allowed at present.
(vii) A choice is proposed to be given to the private FM broadcasters to choose any agency other than BECIL for construction of CTI within a period of 3 months of issuance of LOI failing which BECIL will automatically become the system integrator and set up co-location facilities and CTI.
(viii) Special incentives for North East (NE) Region and Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) and Island territories:
• Private FM Radio broadcasters in North East (NE) Region and Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) and Island territories will be required to pay half the rate of annual license fee for an initial period of three years from the date from which the annual license fee becomes payable and the permission period of fifteen (15) years begins.
• The revised fee structure has also been made applicable for a period of three years, from the date of issuance of guidelines, to the existing operators in these States to enable them to effectively compete with the new operators.
• Apart from the fee relaxation, it is further proposed that Prasar Bharati infrastructure would be made available at half the lease rentals for similar category cities in such areas.
• The limit on the ownership of Channels, at the national level, allocated to an entity has been retained at 15%. However channels allotted in Jammu & Kashmir, North Eastern States and island territories will be allowed over and above the 15% national limit to incentivise the bidding for channels in such areas;
The provisions of the Policy will also be available to FM Phase-II operators.
The incentives provided in the Policy with regard to J&K, North Eastern States and Island territories will make the operations viable in these areas and are expected to result in better offtake of channels. The steps taken in the new policy will bring down operational costs and improve viability in general. To improve the viability further as against a maximum of 4 channels in D category cities permitted in FM Phase-II, FM Phase-Ill proposes only 3 FM channels in D category cities so that there are lesser operators to share the advertisement pie. The reduction in the lockin period of shareholding of promoters/majority shareholders from the present 5 years to 3 years will give them greater freedom to change the Share Holding Pattern.
Content diversification because of news content provided by All India Radio, because of categories being specifically permitted and because of multiple ownership of channels in a city except in D category cities will allow operators to distinguish themselves from others to be able to cater to niche audiences. This will also increase the overall listenership base and the listening time.
E-auction for the channels will be conducted in batches and number of batches will be decided by the Ministry of I&B, depending upon the response from the bidders after auction of first batch. The Ministry of l&B will appoint an independent expert agency, though a transparent selection process, following established procedure, to conduct e-auction. The Ministry will separately issue a detailed Information Memorandum, in due course, enabling the prospective bidders to participate, and also indicating the cities, reserve prices city-wise, number of channels to be taken up in each batch and other procedures for e-auction. A Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) for participation in the Auction(s) will also be issued in due course of time.
(Press Information Bureau, Govt. of India, 7th July 2011)
Full story at :
http://www.rwonline.com/article/at-ibb-a-call-for-rejuvenation/23858
FM Logs - 4th July 2011 0200-0400z
91.9 - Radio Mantra, Bareilley 218 kms
99.4 - Shuklafanta FM CRS, Mahendranagar Nepal 307 kms
100.2 - AIR Patiala 208 kms
100.3 - AIR Jammu 526 kms
100.4 - AIR Bareilley 218 kms
101.3 - AIR Aligarh 108 kms
102.1 - AIR Mussourie 235 kms
102.2 - AIR Kathua 467 kms
103.1 - AIR Chandigarh 259 kms
103.7 - AIR Nagaur, Raj (Presumed, no id heard)
AIR Kathua, J&K ID : http://tinyurl.com/66kvakk
Date: Wednesday, 6th July 2011 Time: 1200 Noon.
Venue: Ham Radio Station, 2nd Floor, Gate No.2, Sree Kanteerava Outdoor Stadium, Kasturba Road, Bangalore-1.
All are welcome !
73,
SAthyapal, VU2FI
03 July 2011 - The African Union – United Nations Mission in Darfur today began a series of radio broadcasts throughout the Darfur region, in accordance with a recently signed agreement with the Sudanese Government.
According to this interim arrangement, UNAMID Radio will broadcast for two hours daily on Al Salaam Radio, a one-hour programme at 8:30 and another at 14:00, with repeat broadcasts at appropriate times on Darfur state radio stations.
The broadcasts, titled Yala Nabni Darfur ("Let's Build Darfur"), will feature a unique perspective into the lives of the region's people and present the latest on UNAMID's activities and its mandate in helping to achieve peace. With television and daily newspapers out of the reach of many in Darfur's more remote communities, radio is often the only available source of information.
The interim agreement inked on 26 June between the Mission and the National Public Radio Corporation (NPRC) is to last while the Government reviews the Mission's application for a radio broadcasting license, in conformity with the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA).
(Communication and Public Information Division,UNAMID)
Related News :
UNAMID radio starts broadcasting in Darfur
http://www.sudantribune.com/UNAMID-radio-starts-broadcasting,39412
