December 2009
IN THIS ISSUE:
2009 NASB/DRM USA
Upcoming NASB/DRM USA
2009 EDXC Conference
HCJB Report
Trans World Radio Name Change
Catalog of Shortwave Receivers
African Broadcasters Gear Up for
Future
Shortwave Demo of DrTV at IBC
DRM Receiver with Color Screen
New Thomson Antenna
Medal for Mother Angelica of EWTN
Shortwave Radio’s Advantage Over
Internet
Appraisal of RNW Performance
2004-2008
Shortwave Important for Those at
Sea
KNLS Report
WHRA Report
Shortwave Radio in Darfur
Program about Shortwave Radio in Africa
NASB Shortwave Listener Survey
2009
NASB/DRM USA Meeting – Nashville , TN
Report
by Michael Murray for World DX Club ,
England
The
annual NASB/DRM two-day meeting was held in May at the Holiday Inn, Nashville , Tennessee
The
opening session started on the Thursday morning with remarks from the two host
companies. This was followed by a report from John Stanley of HCJB, regarding
the testing of three FEBC 100KW SW transmitters on Saipan ,
which Continental had converted to DRM transmissions.
The
first seminar covered the latest developments in Digital Radio Mondiale, and
was given by Adil Mina of Continental Electronics. He reported that there were
plenty of DRM broadcasts, but once again the lack of receivers was holding back
the project. India and Russia
The
next podium speaker was Mel Whitten, and his topic was WinDRM – Amateur Radio’s
DRM Evolution. He talked about the radio’s digital voice and image transfer
modes derived from DRM’s Dream receiver/transmitter software. In his talk he
covered how these modes were developed.
A
Profile of Ten-Tec, a Tennessee
The
business part of the DRM concluded with a buffet lunch at a local restaurant,
next door to the Ryman Auditorium, the original home of “The Grand Ole Opry” radio programme.
The
afternoon was spent visiting the transmitter site of WWCR, which is situated
just outside of Nashville Alaska Madagascar
Following
the bus tour, most of the delegates went on to the Stoveworks restaurant for
dinner, which is situated in nearby Franklin
The
second day, Friday, saw the start of the NASB Annual Meeting.
The
opening item on the agenda was a three member Panel Discussion on the State of SW Listening and Broadcasting in Europe .
Unfortunately at the last minute two of the panelists could not attend so
Michael Murray of the World DX Club took the podium. In a revised talk Michael
spoke about the changes that have happened, especially in Europe ,
since he started radio listening in the early 60’s. He commented on the
cutbacks from the major radio stations in Europe ,
who have either stopped broadcasting all together or have moved over to on-line
“broadcasting.” He finished this part of his talk, as a traveler, asking the
question which would you rather do. Holding a SW receiver in your hand or a
Netbook computer? A computer is fine if you are in an area with wifi or a large
battery capacity, but not very convenient if you are camping or on the beach!
Michael also spoke about the upcoming EDXC Conference to be held in Dublin , Ireland
In the
final part of the opening agenda item, Adrian Peterson of AWR, Adventist World
Radio spoke about the changes in SW broadcasting from a broadcaster’s
prospective.
The
next part of the agenda was an interesting look at a single person’s attempt at
promoting a sports programme on shortwave. Bruce Baskin started with World
Cricket Today, and had now moved onto World Baseball Today, where he covers
that sport in North America, Asia and Europe .
These broadcasts can be heard over WRMI on 9955 kHz each Sunday at 14.30 UTC.
Don
Messer gave a report on “Tests of Digital Radio Broadcasting (DRM) to Cover
Alaska.” The goal is to see if all of Alaska Alaska
Allan
McGuirl of Galcom International who manufactures small solar radios was the
next speaker. Galcom have produced over 750,000 fix tuned radio’s in AM, FM and
SW mode, and can be found in over 100 countries. Of the 750,000 radios, over
118,000 are for SW use. The firm has also installed more than 60 low powered
Christian radio stations in unreached areas of the world.
Charlie
Jacobson gave the latest information on HCJB, Ecuador Quito Amazon
River Basin
After
a coffee break, Charles Caudill, the President of World Christian Broadcasting
spoke about their work in setting up a new transmitter site in Madagascar Madagascar
Tom
King, President of Kintronics Labs of Bristol, Tennessee, gave the final
lecture of the morning. Kintronics builds antennas, including the corner
reflector for WRMI in Miami ,
Florida Nome , Alaska for programmes directed to Eastern Siberia, and a
250 KW 6 tower array, directed in three patterns to North
Korea , China
and Japan , on 1566 kHz on
the island of Cheju
off the southern coast of South
Korea
The
majority of the participants took lunch at a local restaurant, before returning
to the Holiday Inn for the NASB Business meeting. During the meeting it was
decided that the 2010 meeting would take place in Hamilton , Ontario , Canada
Agenda
Announced for 2010 Annual Meeting in Hamilton ,
Ontario
NASB
associate member Galcom International will host the 2010 NASB-DRM
USA annual meetings on May
20 and 21 in Hamilton , Ontario , Canada Canada ,
or anywhere outside the U.S. Mohawk
College Conference
Center
This
year there is a registration fee, unlike recent years. However, it includes some meals and coffee
breaks, transportation to the outside venues, and allows us to rent the
conference center at Mohawk
College
Meeting
Agenda
On
Thursday, May 20, meeting participants will go by bus to Crossroads
Communications in the morning to participate in the taping of a syndicated
television program and to talk about shortwave radio. A tour of the Crossroads facility will
follow. Later, the bus will take
everyone to Galcom for a tour of the factory where they build fix-tuned
shortwave receivers and other broadcast and receiving equipment. There will be a barbecue lunch at the Galcom
factory before returning to the Mohawk
College Conference
Center Niagara Falls Mohawk College
On
Friday, May 21, the NASB annual meeting will officially take place. Talks and presentations will focus on
Canadian subjects. Members of the
Ontario DX Association will tell about their very successful shortwave/DX club
and about their role as QSL coordinator for the Toronto Mohawk
College Conference
Center
Explanatory
Notes for Registration Form:
Block
A – Please fill out one form for each person attending. The registration fee is C$55 per person (i.e.
Canadian dollars). This will cover the
basic registration fee, lunches on Thursday and Friday, and coffee breaks on both
days. Please check the days you plan to
attend (Thursday, Friday or both). If
you do not require accommodation, or if you plan to stay somewhere other than
the Mohawk College residence, check the box indicating that you will take care
of your own overnight accommodations.
Block
B – This is the cost of accommodation at the Mohawk College 245 Fennell Avenue West , Hamilton ,
Ontario
Block
C – There will be an optional visit to Niagara
Falls Mohawk College to the Falls and back, and a private NASB
dinner at the Old Stone Mill restaurant in Niagara Falls , Ontario New York
You
may send your registration form by standard mail along with a personal or
company cheque payable to Galcom International, or you can pay everything by
credit/debit card if you wish. Just
indicate if it is a Visa or MasterCard and provide the card details. If paying by Visa or MasterCard, you can fax
your registration form to Galcom at the number indicated, or you can scan and
e-mail the form to them.
Alternative Accommodation: The Mohawk residence package above is for
two nights (May 19 and 20); there is no rate for just one night of
accommodation. The Mohawk College 1224 Upper James Street Hamilton Mohawk
Conference Center
Planning
underway for 2011 Annual Meeting
WRMI
in Miami has offered to host the 2011 NASB-DRM USA
annual meeting on board a cruise ship from Miami
or Fort Lauderdale to the Bahamas Hamilton , Ontario
NASB-DRM
USA 2012 Annual Meeting confirmed for Washington, DC
The
NASB was pleased to receve an invitation from Radio Free Asia to hold the 2012
annual meeting of the NASB and the joint DRM USA NASB-DRM
USA
by Adrian Peterson
A three-day historic radio convention was held
in suburban Chicago United States United States , as well
as from Canada Chicago
On Thursday, the
outdoor events included the setting up of tents and display areas filled with
old, and very old, radio and wireless receivers, and other ancient radio
memorabilia. Among the many unusual
items were old grandfather clocks that contain an original built-in radio
receiver, wooden tables also with an original built-in radio receiver, lots of
very old receivers that are in actual working condition, as well as parts and
pieces for every conceivable radio usage.
The major indoor
activity on Thursday was the Main Auction, which took place in the
evening. Everything imaginable in old
radio and wireless was up for auction.
Some items were sold at quite a low price, but other items went for very
high prices, even above $1,000.
The outdoor
activities continued on Friday, with selling and trading of old wanted radio
items; and in addition, a special event amateur station was on the air under
the callsign KC9IPB.
Indoor activities
on Friday included several illustrated presentations from guest speakers. These spoken topics included “The Illustrated
History of Chicago’s Mediumwave Station WLS”, “The World’s Oldest Radio Cards”
dating from the year 1900, and a practical do-it-yourself project on the
restoration of old radio receivers.
Saturday’s events,
both indoors and outdoors, saw the official winding down of this popular annual
annual convention which concluded at midday.
A major display of
professionally restored radio receivers and other radio memorabilia was held in
the Hinsdale Room in the Willowbrook Holiday Inn, and one of the displays was a
sample collection of “The World’s Oldest Radio Cards,” many thousands of them,
displayed in very large photo albums.
During the time of this display in the Hinsdale Room, a restored old
radio receiver was active, tuned in to a local Chicago
Note: NASB Board member Adrian Peterson of
Adventist World Radio was the NASB's representative at the Chicago
The 2009 EDXC Conference in Dublin
Report by Anker Petersen, Danish Shortwave Club International
The 42nd annual Conference of the European DX Council (EDXC) was held on
28-30 August 2009 at Grand Canal Hotel near the centre of the Irish capital, Dublin
I flew from Denmark Germany ,
Alexander Beryozkin from St. Petersburg and
Jonathan Murphy from Cork , Ireland
At 1900 we had an informal gathering in the lobby and were welcomed by
EDXC Secretary General Tibor Szilagyi and Edward Dunne.
48 people from 10 countries attended this Conference. The biggest
attendance came from Finland United Kingdom
came 9, Sweden 5, Ireland 3, Denmark
3, Japan 2, U.S.A. 2, Russia 1 and Germany Turkey
(Dr. Ufuk Geçim), FEBC (Mike Adams), Radio Free Asia (Andrew Janitschek “A.J”),
IBB (Arto Mujunen) and Phantom FM in Dublin
Amongst the DX-ers were no less than 7 present and former Secretary Generals and Assistant Secretary
Generals of the EDXC: Anker Petersen, Claës-W. Englund, Bengt Dalhammar,
Michael Murray, Risto Vähäkainu, Arto Mujunen and Tibor Szilagyi.
Saturday 29 August
At 0900, Counsellor Rebecca Moynihan, representing the Lord Mayor of Dublin
Then the Conference was officially opened by Tibor Szilagyi and Edward
Dunne, the Irish DX Club. Tibor reported: “ The number of members of the EDXC is
showing a growing tendency. Today we have 12 European DX Clubs as Regular
Members --- 2 Clubs more than 1 year ago.
On the Individual Member side, we have noted a significant
increase: We have now 4 Members: 2 from Sweden, 1 from Finland and 1 from
Italy. As Observer Members we count -- as we did last year as well --- 4
Observer Members: 2 from Germany, 1 from the U. K. ( = The British DX Club
) and 1 from the U.S.A. : National Association of Shortwave Broadcasters (NASB).
The Membership Fees have been paid rather fast at the beginning of the year
2009. We at the EDXC are very grateful for that --- being a small and very poor
hobby organization, operating with penny--like financial means.
For this year's EDXC Conference I invited 27 different radio stations to
come to Dublin to make their own presentations and just to see how we work as a
hobby organization. Of those 27 invited radio stations I received answers from
only a few. Radio Belarus and Voice of
Russia in Moscow answered at the beginning of this year and told me the
following: Because of the worldwide financial crisis they received much less
money from their governments, so, even if they were extremely flattered by the
kind invitation of the EDXC, they cannot come. From those Invited radio
stations in Asia only China Radio International answered me. The secretary of
the English Section wrote to me that she forwarded my invitation to the Chief
of the English Service: Mr. Yang Lei. Altough I repeated our EDXC
Invitation to those 27 radio stations several times, a complete silence was the
result from these stations.
During last year's EDXC Conference in Vaasa / Finland, we received the kind
Invitation from the Voice of Turkey in Ankara, to come to Ankara and arrange
our next EDXC Conference together with the Voice of Turkey there in 2010. The
EDXC has several times expressed our true thankfulness for this kind invitation
to Ankara. Because of this we certainly maintained a special contact with Voice
of Turkey.
While organizing this year's EDXC Conference I was often in contact with
Edward Dunne from the Irish DX Club here in Dublin. Edward always answered my
e-mails immediately and we had a very good co-operation during this time
working together. On behalf of the EDXC I wish to express my big thank you to
Edward for the excellent work he has done.
In the springtime of 2009 I was contacted by Risto Vahakainu from the FDXA
( Finland ) asking me to think over what could we offer more for this
Conference as an extension of the programme for Sunday, August 30. As you can
see from the detailed programme our Finnish DX friends managed to contribute
with a lot of interesting items for this Sunday. I wish to express my
thankfulness towards our Finnish DX -- friends for this excellent contribution.
At the same time I would like to wish the Conference a great success, and
please do continue with this wonderful DX -- Hobby !!”
Edward Dunne pointed out that this was the first time an EDXC Conference
was held in Ireland. Therefore he was anxious that all arrived well, got good
memories and will come back to Ireland another time.
Greetings were received from AGDX, Rhein-Main DX Club, Valerio Cavallo
of AIR, Jeff White and Torre Ekblom.
The first lecture was about “Shortwave Disaster Radio and Studio-in-a
Suitcase”, held by Mike Adams. He is engineer at FEBC and also Vice President
of NASB. Shortwave is still a strong medium in many countries in Asia . Since the big Tsunami in 2005, FEBC has developed a
“Rapid Response Kit” with advanced technology which can be sent anywhere in the
world as humanitarian aid in cooperation with the Red Cross. The Kit consists
of two suitcases each weighing 20 kg comprising a FM transmitter, an antenna
and a Chrysolute studio. If the disaster has destroyed the local radiostation,
FEBC can send a reporter team with the Kit to the area within 72 hours. Test
have shown that the FM station can be established within 45 minutes. In
addition the reporter team can report back to the FEBC on the Philippines
Next was Simon Maher, General Manager of the Rock station Phantom Radio,
in Dublin Dublin
Then Jonathan Murphy gave a well-documented lecture about “Broadcasting
to the World: The Role of the Media in the Baltic States during their struggle
for independence from the USSR Lithuania , Latvia and Estonia
Next A.J. gave an update on the status of Radio Free Asia whose
broadcasts in Korean, Tibetan, Mandarin, Uighur and Vietnamese are still
jammed. He introduced the new QSL for September-October and thanked for the
many reception reports to the website www.techweb.rfa.org
. On the QSL’s 6 IBB sites are identified, but others cannot be that for
political reasons.
Dr. Ufuk Geçim from the German Section of the Voice of Turkey (TRT) then
told about the station and her job as editor of the Letterbox and DX-programme.
Her audience is German speaking listeners, including many Turks who live in Germany and Austria Ankara
After lunch a sightseeing bus driven by Steve and with James as guide
brought us through the very clean city of historical Dublin
We ended up in the Vintage
Radio Museum
The delicious Banquet Dinner was held under cover at the Hotel followed
by a raffle with many DX-related prizes.
Sunday 30 August
At 0930 Risto Vähäkainu told about the current DX-Club activity in Europe and the World. Many clubs have the option with
both a printed bulletin and a PDF-version on the website. The internet is necessary to attract younger
members, but the websites have to be updated.
Then followed a club meeting where all DX-Clubs represented told about
their activities: DSWCI, BDXC-UK, St. Petersburg DX-Club, FDXA, Irish DX Club,
SDXF/ Mälardalens DX-Club, HDXC and JSWC. Tibor Szilagyi also revealed that a
new candidate as Assistant Secretary General had been found in Sweden
The sun broke through, so we hurried out to take the official photo in
front of Grand Canal Hotel.
Back in the Conference room, Jukka Kotovirta gave a lively talk about
the magic FM DX-hobby. With a good antenna, e.g. a 15 element Yagi, you can get
good results even in noisy cities. The year 2009 has had very poor reception
conditions, maybe because of the poor stock exchanges.
Then Arto Mujunen, leader of the IBB monitoring in Finland Russia Dominican Republic India and Russia
Tibor Szilagyi and Edward Dunne then closed the successful EDXC
Conference which had many very interesting lectures and not the least was a
social event where we met old and new friends. Thank you to Tibor and Edward
for this!
From Ecuador
By Kenneth D. MacHarg, Missionary Journalist
By Kenneth D. MacHarg, Missionary Journalist
Just
stepping on the property one knew that it was a special place.
Others
declared that it was holy ground.
Whatever
a person’s viewpoint, these 110 acres of rolling green fields with a
spectacular view of the perfect snow-covered volcanic cone of Mount Cotopaxi to
the south were a single point from which shortwave radio programs could be
beamed to the four corners of the earth.
Pifo,
as the transmitter site for international Christian radio station HCJB, the
Voice of the Andes, was known, could only be described in superlatives: one of
the largest radio stations in the world; the home of one of the largest
broadcast antennas ever built; one of the few places in the world where radio
broadcasts could reach around the globe; the place from which the gospel of
Jesus Christ could be heard by listeners in each of the world’s countries.
Even before entering the property, a visitor approaching the
transmitter site from Quito Pifo
Each
of those unique structures with their complex web of reflecting curtains was
designed to throw a powerful signal to a specific target, be it North or South
America, Europe, the South Pacific, East Asia
or West Central Africa. Smaller antennas, configured in a different manner,
served to send programs in the Quichua dialects straight up where they would
bounce off electronically charged layers far beyond the reach of the highest-flying
airliner and bounce back down like an umbrella over the Andes
where those descendents of the Inca civilizations still live.
In the
large transmitter building, 10 behemoths of electronic genius pumped out
hundreds of thousands of watts of signal power, much of it generated in HCJB
Global’s own hydroelectric plants even higher in those majestic mountains.
Some
of those technological marvels were commercial brands known to radio engineers
around the world: RCA, Harris, Siemens. Others, including the super-power,
500,000-watt HC500, were built by HCJB Global’s own engineers in Ecuador and Elkhart , Indiana , USA
None
of these were ordinary, run-of-the mill transmitters. No, they were
specifically built for or adapted to Pifo’s extraordinary altitude of 8,600
feet where the air is thin and electrical arcing between components could
quickly burn up precious parts and force an expensive and crucial piece of
equipment off the air.
Hidden
away in the roof of this fascinating building was a switcher unit, or to be
more precise, dozens of switchers. These connected the appropriate transmitter
to its scheduled antenna to beam the Christian message from Pifo in the morning
to missionaries in the Brazilian Amazon or to German settlers in Paraguay and Argentina Americas
and the Caribbean and in the wee hours of the morning to others in East Asia and the South Pacific.
While
the transmitters were impressive, it was the antennas that were awe-inspiring.
Whether seen against the backdrop of the setting sun or with Cotopaxi visible
through their web-like patterns, these tall towers, reaching as high as 417
feet and holding two or three curtains of wires were fascinating as they
invisibly bounced hundreds of thousands of watts of power, carrying the
life-giving message of the gospel to people trapped behind the Iron Curtain,
confined in the totalitarian state that was the Soviet Union. Also nurtured
were those hidden behind the veil of Mideast nations or casually listening in
their homes and offices in North America, Europe, Asia
and the South Pacific.
It’s
hard for those without engineering experience to understand how an array of
thin wires can bounce an electric signal against another similar curtain and
have that signal and its message arrive at a radio receiver 6,000 miles away.
But,
the antennas and transmitters of Pifo ,
Ecuador
While
the technology was fascinating, even more compelling were the people who made
it happen—those men and women who relocated to the beautiful South American
country of Ecuador Ecuador
and El Salvador , Germany and Greece ,
Russia and Romania
These
people, from a multitude of nationalities, were innovators and geniuses in
their own right. They designed the Cubical Quad antenna to prevent electrical
arcing at the tips of antenna wires and made that model available for personal,
military and commercial use around the world.
They
built and operated the “steerable antenna,” said to be one of the largest
broadcast antennas ever built and the only one of its design ever constructed.
They fabricated transmitters, antennas and components almost out of barbed wire
and tin cans when standard supplies were not available. They utilized
propagation possibilities (characteristics that allowed the signal to span long
distances) that were unknown to others at the time, yet allowed the signal of
HCJB to reach the ends of the earth.
Why
did they do this? Because they had learned that God, who created the world and
everything in it, including the fascinating science of radio broadcasting,
cares about His creation and wishes that each and every person, from every
tongue and nation, will know His love for them. And, they discovered the truth
of God as it is written in the Bible and the love, forgiveness and salvation of
God which results in eternal life through God’s Son, Jesus Christ, who is the
friend of sinners and the Savior of the world.
Today,
those fields from which gospel programming was broadcast for almost 60 years
are silent and almost empty. Gone are the huge towers and miles of wire that
stretched across the green grass. Now gone silent are the transmitters* that
labored day in and day out to transform the programs into a signal that would
be carried around the world.
The
site, which began broadcasting in 1953, signed off for good on Sept. 30, 2009.
A changing world and changing methods of mass communication have challenged
HCJB to move on to new ways of sharing that same message of hope. Today,
satellite television and radio, the ability of local Christians to launch their
own stations in communities where such broadcasters were forbidden or
impossible in the past, the availability of other shortwave transmitting sites,
the Internet, podcasts, social networking sites and Internet radio have become
additional means of receiving information, entertainment and inspiration.
Pifo
has become silent and the engineers and program producers have moved on. But
today in every country of the world there are churches meeting, worshiping and
serving because they practice what they heard on HCJB. There are entire
communities and nations and people groups that proudly bear the name Christian
because listeners heard the message emanating from Pifo. And, there are people,
believers in Jesus Christ, who will attest to how their lives were transformed
by Him and how today they are followers of Jesus because of what they heard
from Pifo , Ecuador
To God
be the glory!
(*While the official closure date for the
Pifo transmitter site was September 30, broadcasts in Portuguese were
scheduled to continue for a few weeks.)
Note: Kenneth D. MacHarg served in Ecuador Mission in 2006 and
now live in Carrollton , Ga.
Trans
World Radio Changes its Name
from
TWR news release sent by Alokesh Gupta
(India ), via Yimber Gaviria
(Colombia
"While
our commitment to radio broadcasting remains steadfast, the name Trans World
Radio no longer fully conveys the scope of our organization," says TWR
President Lauren Libby. "TWR is more than radio. It is a multifaceted
media ministry. By changing the name to TWR, we will maintain radio as a
keystone communication component all the while employing a strategic
integration of new media platforms. In fact, we will even seek to enlarge our
broadcasting footprint."
Libby
explained that TWR is committed to leveraging digital advances such as the
Internet, MP3 players, video and other mobile-device formats. "In recent
years, modern technology has enabled us to make significant strides in engaging
with our global audience," he said.
"We
also recognize the tremendous ministry value of social media portals like
Facebook, Twitter and YouTube," Libby adds. "We're not just
endeavoring to reach people for Christ; we want to connect and dialogue with
them as they grow in faith. Furthermore, we realize social media is a fast and
efficient way to communicate with our stakeholders."
The
ministry's new positioning statement, according to Libby, will clearly reflect
TWR's primary objective of Speaking Hope to the World. "Speaking not only
refers to verbal communication but also signifies the ability to relate with
people in other resourceful ways," Libby explained. "With that in
mind, we will offer relevant messages of hope in Jesus to men, women and
children around the globe. Whether it's by radio or other new media means, TWR
is dedicated to helping fulfill Christ's Great Commission."
The
name Trans World Radio has existed for more than 55 years. It goes without
saying that it is entirely unrealistic to expect everyone to stop using that
name overnight. That said, TWR staff, partners and affiliated ministries are
encouraged to make the gradual shift toward using TWR as the primary moniker.
Is TWR
abandoning or scaling back its commitment to radio broadcasting? No, not at all. In some areas of the world, we are
increasing traditional radio broadcasts on shortwave, AM and FM outlets. As
TWR's Bill Damick states in his forthcoming document "The Future is Here:
Radio, New Media and Missions": "[Radio] has the unique ability to
deliver its message efficiently, inexpensively, and compellingly to the
greatest percentage of the world's people regardless of their economic status,
educational attainment, or geographic location."
Free
Catalog of Shortwave Receivers and Equipment
Yimber
Gaviria of Colombia
http://www.ccrane.com.
African
Broadcasters Gearing Up for Future
Major Investments in Broadcast Antenna Infrastructure
from Thomson Radio Broadcast
The broadcast sector
is coming to the view that radio’s strengths remain universally relevant and
fundamentally appreciated despite the introduction of alternative media
platforms and technologies. Especially with the advent of digital radio,
consumers can experience radio like never before, anywhere and anytime.
Radio works
efficiently by delivering the same content to all listeners at the same time.
For each additional listener, there is no incremental additional overhead on
the transmission side. For the listeners, radio is still the cheapest and
easiest way to keep informed because reception is free-of-charge, intimate and
does not require a lot of sophisticated infrastructure.
The view that radio
is indeed holding its own is supported by the fact that leading broadcasters in Middle East and Africa are
investing in their radio broadcast infrastructure for local, regional and
international coverage. Over the past two years, Thomson has been
awarded major
contracts to upgrade their medium wave broadcast antenna networks in Libya , Qatar ,
UAE, Egypt , Sudan and Nigeria
The importance of
radio broadcast in Libya , the
fourth largest country in Africa , is growing,
with an estimated 250 receiver sets per 1000 persons countrywide. LJBC operates
3 shortwave, approx. 20 medium wave and 4 FM transmitters. Local radio stations
are situated
at various sites around the
country. The new antenna systems from
Thomson will not only improve the coverage but also enable considerable savings
in operating costs thanks to the superior overall efficiency of the new
systems.
The Thomson crew is on site and
working full time on the assembly of the towers. All systems will be taken into
operation in the first quarter of 2010.
Small-Scale Video with Shortwave
World-First Demo of “DrTV” at IBC
from Thomson Radio Broadcast
IBC Amsterdam, a
classic event in the media broadcasting and technology industry,
featured this year more than 1300 exhibitors, including new stands from around
the world. Grass Valley
enhancements and partnerships. In
addition, Grass Valley
The Grass Valley Grass Valley
DrTV enables small-scale video
services for cost efficient large-area distribution of education and
information programs, whereby a small-scale video signal is accompanied by one
or more audio streams. DrTV represents a joint effort between Thomson,
Fraunhofer IIS and New Star Electronics. DrTv was carefully designed to provide
the most efficient transport encoding and packetization
while at the same time allowing receivers to robustly decode and
quickly resynchronize to the transmitted content. The system also features all
benefits of the DRM platform, like service selection by Unicode compatible
labels, alternative frequency signaling and switching, announcement and
warning/alert features, etc. DrTV can be
transmitted over all broadcast bands supported by the worldwide DRM standard,
including LW, MW, SW and above, and is an ideal platform to reach audiences
scattered over a wide geographical area with a single transmitter.
DRM transmissions over shortwave
have practically unlimited coverage possibilities ranging from 100 square
kilometers up to well over 5,000,000 square kilometers depending on
transmission system. Thus DrTV can keep citizens living abroad informed and
up-to-date
about what is going on in the
home country. The DrTV application offers free-of-charge reception and is
independent of gatekeepers and third-party providers like satellites and cable
networks. DrTv is one example of the substantial advantages made possible by
digital AM Radio Systems. Testing of the application on Thomson transmission
systems has begun.
News from UniWave: The First DRM Receiver with Color Screen
from Thomson Radio Broadcast
The Di-Wave 100
receiver from Uniwave packs all the digital functionalities that
listeners are looking for into a neat, portable model. The attractive new DRM
Radio Receiver was successfully demonstrated at various symposiums and
exhibitions and showed excellent results during the Olympics at Beijing
With dimensions of
125mm (H) x 65mm (W) x 232mm (L) the UniWave set is a very handy,
portable set, light and easy to carry. DRM functions include station name,
program information, Journaline®, MOT slideshow, listening time-shift of 10
minutes and a total of 768 station memories (256 DRM, 256 FM and 256 AM). The
multi-language graphic user interface includes English, Chinese, German, French
and Spanish. Reception is possible with DRM, FM-RDS stereo on phones, SW/MW/LW.
Later models could include DRM+, TDMB and DAB+.Di-Wave 100 is the first DRM
receiver among a big family. UniWave has set forth an ambitious receiver road
map for the next two years, and intends to develop the basic model to include a
wide range of market specific features with extended reception options, set top
box to connect on TV screen, a Di-Wave portable DVD and an attractive Di-Wave
car radio model. Future plans also include a receiver
which works with a built-in dynamo, eliminating the need of
batteries and access to a mains network.
Following the release of the
first prototype batch earlier this year, UniWave collected user reports and has
now spent some months to improve the specifications. The first production of
300 pieces of the enhanced model started in September, a few samples being
dedicated for demos at IBC. Larger production is planned for end of
September. Average retail price is
expected to be under 250 Euro, with the outlook to reduce the price with
increased order volume. The fact that
DRM receiver sets are equipped with a monitor makes DRM an attractive means of
transmitting a variety of data services over large coverage areas. Possibilities
include electronic advertising, tourist information, traffic information,
distant learning and transmission of other important educational, cultural and
political contents.
DRM has the ease of use and
robustness that comes from digital transmissions and has the potential to bring
to every radio set a vast selection of content. Whether for local, regional or
international coverage, DRM has proven itself to be the easiest, cheapest and
most
independent and reliable means of
distribution and reception of information, music and entertainment. Order placements can be made through the
internet as follows: www.uniwave.
Increasing the Reach of Shortwave
Broadcast Systems
Small-footprint Antenna System with
Unlimited Flexibility
from Thomson Radio Broadcast
Shortwave broadcast
systems can reach millions of people anywhere, anytime from a single
transmission site. The possibilities are theoretically unlimited. On the other
hand, shortwave infrastructure is a notorious power consumer and stations
require a lot of land to accommodate adequate antenna systems. Thomson’s newest
rotatable curtain antenna helps broadcasters with limited space and budget to
make important power savings while increasing considerably their coverage
flexibility. The Thomson HP-RCA 2/2 (High
Performance Rotatable
Curtain Antenna) is a highly interesting alternative system solution for
broadband fixed curtain antenna configurations.
HP-RCA 2/2 services
similar coverage areas as the classical LPD (Log Periodic Dipole Antenna) with
up to 45% higher efficiency of the radiated power into a defined target area.
Additional comparative figures of merit include
Higher gain (up to 19 dBi, or 3 to 6 dB more than typical LPD)
Higher front-to-back ratio (6 to 10 dB more than typical LPD)
Better power capability (up to 500 kW, as compared to the LPD
with an absolute maximum of only 250 kW)
In addition, the
HP-RCA 2/2 has a better overall efficiency, requires less land, is easier to
maintain and affords better reliability with regard to storms and electrostatic
effects. The footprint of this powerful
and highly flexible system is surprisingly small. With dimensions
of 51m x 51m, the
foundation surface needs less than 12m x 12m. The covered area has a radius of
approximately 50m.
With an overall
weight of 80t, the antenna has a maximum survival wind speed of 240 km
and a maximum operational wind speed of 120 km. It takes less than 3 minutes
for a 180° rotation. Based on a rigid array and a tubular shaft, the HP-RCA 2/2
is a back-to-back arrangement of a low band and a high band curtain antenna
equipped with a reflector screen. The 2/2 configuration gives a good radiation
pattern performance with moderate structural effort.
Whereas the classical
HR 2/2 curtain antenna solution is based on a fix structure with phasing system
limited to less than 20° azimuthal slewing with considerable sidelobes, the new
rotatable structure with a central shaft has 360° azimuthal performance
radiation patterns without sidelobes.
Positive feedback from the EBU/DRM
conference
News release from the DRM Consortium
The event brought into focus the recent
developments in the DRM technology - the standardisation of DRM+ and the
publication of DRM Receiver Profiles. This conference highlighted the market
potential of the DRM system and evaluated the results from its tests from
various locations worldwide. It also allowed a healthy discussion on different
business cases and real achievements in getting DRM receivers on the market.
Supported with excellent organisation
by the EBU, the Consortium was able to highlight the achievements and
challenges of the DRM technology and present its potential as the global
solution for conversion of radio from analogue to digital. DRM Chairperson,
Ruxandra Obreja, expressed her satisfaction at the event by saying: "I am
delighted that this was an interactive event able to demonstrate the great
potential and benefits of DRM. From the feedback received the interesting
presentations and discussions have impressed the participants, many of whom
want to know more and attend similar events dedicated to the DRM technology."
There were live demonstrations of the
technology at the Conference venue. The event also provided a great opportunity
for networking and exchanging views on digital radio developments in different
parts of the world. To see and hear the presentations made on that day, please visit
the EBU website: http://tech.ebu.ch/events/ebu_drm09 .The DRM members can access also to all the presentations and
view more pictures of the event on the FTP server under /presentations/ EBU-DRM
conference.
Papal Medal for founder of EWTN
from Catholic News
Agency, via Yimber Gaviria, Colobia
Irondale, Ala., Oct
5, 2009 (CNA).- Pope Benedict XVI has awarded the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice
Medal to Mother Angelica, founder of [NASB member] Eternal Word Television
Network and also EWTN executive Deacon Bill Steltemeier. The medal is the
highest honor the Pope can bestow upon laity and religious.
Bishop of Birmingham Robert J. Baker conferred the awards in a brief ceremony following Sunday benediction at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in
Noting that yesterday was the Feast of St. Francis of
Mother Mary Angelica, 86, is a Poor Clare Nun of Perpetual Adoration who founded Our Lady of the Angels Monastery in Irondale, Alabama in 1961. She began EWTN in a garage on the monastery property in 1981. In 1999 she relocated the monastery to the grounds of the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville.
Deacon R. William Steltemeier, 80, is a former
Commenting in his homily at Our Lady of the Angels Monastery on Sunday, Bishop Baker said that the medal is “a significant acknowledgement by our Holy Father, of Mother's labors of love in support of our Church.”
“By giving awards the Church is not saying people or institutions are perfect, but we are saying that Mother Angelica, through this network, has made a significant contribution to the new evangelization heralded and promoted by recent Popes,” the Bishop of Birmingham said.
“The Holy Father’s recognition of Mother Angelica and Deacon Bill Steltemeier is a much-deserved honor,” Michael P. Warsaw, EWTN President and CEO said in a statement. “It acknowledges the tremendous faith, hard work and incredible sacrifices that each of them have made throughout the years in founding and building up the Network.”
“Their recognition is also a great honor for EWTN and is a clear sign of the importance of the Network’s mission for the Church and the Pope. We are grateful to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI and to Bishop Baker for this honor,”
EWTN is available in over 150 million television households in more than 140 countries and territories. In its mission it uses direct broadcast satellite television and radio services, AM & FM radio networks, worldwide short-wave radio, an internet website and a publishing arm. EWTN says it is the largest religious media network in the world.
When shortwave radio is better than the
Internet
Reprinted
from SWLing.com, via Bryne Edwards
From Reuters:
Bainimarama
tightened media censorship on Wednesday and continued to refuse to hold
elections before 2014.
The
Australian Broadcasting Corp. said local technicians had been ordered by the
military government to shut down two FM relay stations in the capital Suva and the western sugar town of Nadi
But
ABC said its Radio Australia
The
military government has asked that Fiji Fiji
Other
reports have
indicated that the government is now trying to restrict internet news sources
and blogs. Internet cafe owners are under threat of being shut down, as well.
When
people ask whether we need shortwave radio in this internet information age,
events like this provide a clear affirmative answer. Once ABC and RNZI were
ousted from Fiji , these
broadcasters immediately reiterated to Fiji
And
that’s the remarkable thing about shortwave–it penetrates borders without
regard to who is in power or to restrictions placed upon local media. Even when
the internet is crippled.
Can shortwave broadcasts be jammed? Sure–but it’s not all that easy
to do; it’s much more difficult than, say, seizing control of a country’s
internet service provider, or (as in the case of Fiji
Much
of the decline of shortwave radio is attributed to the end of the Cold War.
During the Cold War era, national superpowers were obsessed with piercing
borders with their respective messages; since the Cold War ended, that
technology is no longer as driven. But as the Fiji
Independent commission
reports on RNW's performance 2004-2008
From Radio Netherlands
An
independent commission appointed by the supervisory board of Radio Netherlands
Worldwide to look into the performance of the organisation in 2004-2008
published its findings this week. It's the first time that such a commission
has carried out an appraisal of RNW's operations. Its findings were largely
positive, though a few specific matters were highlighted as needing close
attention.
The
commission was positive about RNW's approach to its services in foreign
languages. RNW differentiates itself from most other international broadcasters
by concentrating on themes such as human rights and press freedom, and on
targeting countries that have low ratings in these areas. But the commission
warned RNW to be careful not to spread its resources too thinly across a large
number of languages, target areas and target groups. The commission says RNW
needs to be clearer about how it makes its strategic choices and chooses its
priorities. It noted that RNW was in the course of transforming itself from a
radio station to a multimedial and cross-medial organisation, and that
shortwave is declining in importance as a delivery platform.
RNW
Director-General Jan Hoek is pleased with the generally positive
assessment. Mr Hoek said that RNW
recognises that shortwave is less important overall than it once was, but
stressed that RNW intends to retain a shortwave presence, which can be
increased in emergency situations, and furthermore shortwave is still needed to
broadcast to target areas identified as being of high importance [for English
this means specifically Africa and South Asia] where there are currently no
better distribution platforms.
Shortwave
is important for those at sea
from
publico.es, via Yimber Gaviria (translated from Spanish)
The
radio is often the main companion of Spanish mariners who live and work
thousands of miles from their homes. The
magic of shortwave and the team of the veteran program “Españoles en la Mar”
(“Spaniards at Sea”), which has been on Spanish Foreign Radio for 40 years, has
even been able to keep informed those who were kidnapped on the Alakrana [a
Spanish ship kidnapped by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean] about the
developments in their case, according to the program's presenter, Paco Arjona,
who along with his colleagues has just received the Miguel Pardo award from the
Spanish Maritime Group.
“We use shortwave as our base, which
continues to be vital and allows us to be heard on five continents,” said Arjona. “We have to adapt to new technologies, but at
sea you need shortwave. As for Internet,
today it's very difficult to connect from a ship on the high seas. Two months ago a web page that deals with the
subject said that it was a great advancement to be able to connect at 128
kilobites. On the high seas, the
Internet is only good for sending e-mails with text.”
“KNLS
is Famous All Over China
World
Christian Broadcasting operates shortwave station KNLS in Alaska Asia
in Russian, Chinese and English.
Recently, WCB sponsored a tour of China Beijing , Xian, Luoyang ,
Zhengzhou , Shanghai
and Hong Kong .
WCB President Charles Caudill described a very interesting experience he
had on that trip which highlights the importance of shortwave radio in China
“A few
weeks before leaving for China
“At
the agreed upon time, a young lady, talking on her cell phone, walked directly
to me and called me by name. That's not
too surprising since I was the only American man in the crowded lobby. We took a cab and rode for almost an
hour. She asked the driver to stop a few
blocks from our destination. She did not
want the cab driver to know where we were going. We walked those several blocks and were told
we were near the building where the church meets regularly. We walked by another building to make sure we
were not being followed. After a cell
phone call, the lobby door opened and we took an elevator to one of the top
floors. Another cell phone call got the
door to the apartment opened. We walked
into a room that was set up for a worship service – song books, Bibles and
study materials.
“Why
all of the clandestine moves? Remember,
what we were about to do is illegal in China
“For
years we have wondered about the reception of the KNLS signal in the large
cities of China
“So,
when I asked the question at the beginning of my talk, 'How many of you are
familiar with KNLS?' I was surprised when more than one half of those young
people raised their hands with smiles on their faces. Two of them even spoke out and said, “KNLS is
famous in [their city.]” Afterward, a
patent attorney, one of the leaders of the congregation, told me that the
statements made during worship were true.
He said, “KNLS is famous all over China
WBOH is gone, but her sister station will continue on shortwave
from Gayle Van Horn, Monitoring Times, via Bill Damick
Oct. 6, 2009 - I just spoke to Tabitha Hunter of [NASB member station] WBOH
shortwave in Newport , North Carolina
WHRA
confirmed as off the air
from Gayle Van Horn,
Frequency Manager, Monitoring Times
I spoke to Larry Vehorn,
engineer for WHRI Cypress Creek , South Carolina , and he confirms that WHRA in Greenbush , Maine South Carolina
and T8WH in Palau
'Short-wave radio still going strong
in Darfur '
Researcher Graham Mytton presents
results of Radio Darfur listener survey
From
Press Now
Research shows that Darfuri listen en masse to radio
broadcasts via the short-wave band.
95% of the population over the age of 15 listen to the
radio at least once a week. Over 70% of the people in Darfur
listen at least once a week to Radio Dabanga, the Darfuri name for Radio Darfur.
Mytton: ‘This research shows that short-wave radio is a very powerful
medium in Darfur .’
After the state radio Omdurman
Graham Mytton, formerly head of Media Research at the
BBC and presently working as an independent media researcher, was commissioned
by Press Now to conduct research into the listening behaviour of the Darfuri.
The survey was held immediately after Ramadan, from September to the end of
November 2009. The first results came in three days ago. The survey was
held among 1,582 respondents over the age of 18 from all over Darfur ,
both men and women. The remarkable thing is that men and women listen in equal
measure to the radio. ‘I have never seen that, nowhere in Africa – it’s usually
a male affair,’ says Mytton, who has led numerous media studies in Africa . ‘The preliminary results are very good for Radio
Dabanga.
Graham Mytton presented these provisional survey
results yesterday evening in Desmet Studios, Amsterdam
The data presented by Mytton concerned provisional
results that will still be supplemented further. The full research report will
be rounded off around 1 January 2010.
Special
Program about Shortwave Radio in Africa
On November 20th and 21st,
PCJ Media presented a special show looking at Ears To Our World, a US based
charity that provides schools and teachers in Africa with radios, including the
popular wind-up shortwave receivers that need no batteries or electricity. This
special also focused on the important role SW radio plays in Africa . Guests on the program included Thomas
Witherspoon, founder of Ears To Our
World; Fred Osterman of Universal Radio; Walter Hess of Eton Corp.; David
Smith, formerly with Radio Canada
International, Radio Netherlands
and United Nations Radio; and Soule Issiaka, an expert on the role of radio in
Africa and freelancer for Radio Netherlands Taiwan
NASB to Conduct Shortwave
Listener Survey
Some time ago, the NASB
obtained a quote from a reputable survey firm for conducting a survey to
determine the number of shortwave listeners in North
America , and some demographic characteristics of these
listeners. As the cost was qui
te high, we attempted to
find other shortwave stations that would be interested in sharing the cost with
us. Unfortunately, not even one station offered to share in the cost of
the survey, so we abandoned the idea. However, at this year's NASB annual
meeting in Nashville North America , but in other parts of
the world as well.
A list of survey questions
has been prepared, and a platform for the survey has been chosen. Bill
Damick of TWR is coordinating the survey preparation, and it has tentatively
been scheduled to go online in March of 2010. The survey will stay online
for a period of one year, and final results will be announced at the 2011 NASB
annual meeting. There will be a link to the survey on the NASB website,
and we hope that our member organizations and other shortwave-related
publications, websites and other entities will also publicize it.
Send in Your News – The NASB Newsletter invites you to
send shortwave-related news about your station or organization for publication
here. Send items by e-mail to jeff@wrmi.net.
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NASB Members:
|
|
Adventist World Radio
Assemblies of
Yahweh
EWTN Shortwave
Radio (WEWN)
Family Stations
Inc.
Far East
Broadcasting Co.
Fundamental
Broadcasting Network
La Voz de Restauracion
Broadcasting, Inc.
Le Sea
Broadcasting Corp.
Radio
Trans World Radio
World Christian
Broadcasting
World Wide
Christian Radio
|
|
NASB Associate Members:
Comet
Continental
Electronics Corporation
Galcom International
George Jacobs
& Associates
Hatfield and
Dawson Consulting Engineers
HCJB World Radio
IBB
Kintronic Labs,
Inc.
TCI
International, Inc.
TDF
TDP
Thomson Inc.
VT Communications
National Association of Shortwave
Broadcasters
Ph: (863) 763-0281
Fax: (863) 763-8867 E-mail:
nasbmem@rocketmail.com
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