** CUBA [and non]. While monitoring Kuwait, q.v. on 17550, I also check for RHC on 17560, new frequency to Europe which has been colliding with VOA at 1930-2030. April 7 at 1950, RHC French is way on top, with VOA under via Bonaire JBA, but soon becoming more audible. Around 2000 I notice that RHC has gone to open carrier instead of Portuguese. I figure it`s another pregnant pause as RHC tries to get its act together, but at next check 2019 the carrier is off leaving VOA in the clear! Exhuberant DJ Mathieu LaVoie is conversing with a caller.
Could it be that RHC has caught on that they have a problem with this collision? I quickly search thru 17, 15, 13, 11 MHz bands for a replacement frequency, but none found, yet. At 2042, 17560 is still vacant of both stations, but at 2058 the RHC carrier is back on, as if intentionally about to resume for Spanish, whose modulation does not kick in until 2103, typical amateurish JIP of `Revista Iberoamericana de la Tarde`, VG signal and much better than // 12040, 12020. So maybe in subsequent days we shall find French, Portuguese and/or Arabic at 1930-2100 on a new clear RHC frequency. Or maybe it just broke down today and will stick to 17560 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** EGYPT. R. Cairo is really fond of the out-of-band lower side of 9 MHz. April 7 at 0131 I am hearing it on 9315, 9305 and 9290.
9315 is open carrier, or possibly just barely modulated. Spanish via Abu Zabaal is scheduled at 0045-0200, English 0200-0330.
9305 is the usual extremely distorted Arabic service, via Abis at 19-07. I often hear it after 0500, 0600, but unlistenable.
9290 has some weak modulation at 0132. Scheduled as Spanish via Abu Zabaal to SAm at 0045-0200.
But that`s not all. HFCC A-11 shows all these other low-9 frequencies at some time during the day from ERU: 9250, 9280, 9295, 9310.
While hunting thru HFCC, let`s pull out all the R. Cairo English frequencies:
1215-1330 17870
1600-1800 12170 or 15345
1900-2030 11510 or 15270
2115-2245 5770 or 6270
2300-2430 6270
0200-0330 9315
I am assuming that where two frequencies are registered, only one will really be in use, as usual for English. I`m surprised that nothing but 6270 is found for 6270 at 2300 in the summer to WNAm; should be on much higher band, and Cairo may have been among those stations scared out of the 6200-6300 range by the Russians. Is the 2115 broadcast really on 5770, or 6270? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GREECE. 9420, April 8 at 0129 with classical music, also // 7475 at 0142. That`s because of a 4-day strike by journalists thru Monday. John Babbis forwards this about it:
``NEWS BLACKOUT IN GREECE AS JOURNALISTS STRIKE
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,14973098,00.html
Greek journalists began a four-day strike today in protest at the government's austerity measures, leading to a nationwide news blackout. Television channels aired pre-recorded material, radio stations played back-to-back music and newspapers will not be published until Tuesday. Even online news sites shut down.
The Athens journalists' union is demanding the rehiring of journalists recently laid off at several newspapers and TV stations. Many unions have staged months of strikes and demonstrations since the government unveiled austerity measures to battle its budget deficit crisis.
The financial crisis gripping Greece has hit the media sector hard, leading to the closure of several newspapers. Sources: AP/Deutsche Welle`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KUWAIT. 15540, R. Kuwait, April 7 at 1809 sounds like Christian preacherman with American accent, so I figure WYFR or something must have taken over the frequency --- but this fair signal with fading has no QRM, sounds much like RK reception has been. Then British-accented YL mentions interest in Arab civilization and culture, Islam.
So must be R. Kuwait`s opening feature really about Islam. By 1947, signal has improved to good with western pop music, even rap, still past 2001, a sure sign of Kuwait, pretty good reception today. Still rocking at 2044, but I missed the news headlines around 2050 before 2100*.
Back at 2000, I looked for the RK Arabic service to C&W NAm opening on 17550, but nothing; must have come on late as it`s there at next check 2017 with Arab music; 2040 into Arabic talk, but signal is fading and weaker by 2100. On other days it`s not been heard at all. So for a while we had a choice between Western and Eastern music from the two frequencies of R. Kuwait toward North America (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** LIBYA. 17725, VOAf from the GJ, April 7 at 1402, poor with ID, drumming (Glenn Hauser, OK,, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** OKLAHOMA. Happened to catch a promo on KFOR-TV 27, OKC, April 7 that its secondary station KAUT, RF 40 will be changing April 11 to ``Freedom 43 TV``, ``red, white and you``, evidently a super-patriotic politico-gospel huxter format?
Not yet; looking at upcoming program listings on zap2it, I see the same mostly syndicated and MyTV network programming as before, except `News Channel 4 at 9` becomes `Freedom 43 News`.
BTW, I was pissed to find that when I brought up zap2it on the same browser I had used earlier today to look at the Antenna TV program listings (reruns, reruns, reruns), it had overwritten my cookie set up for local cable listings, now going directly to Antenna TV. Grrrr.
This change has already been making media news. Here is one story:
``Rebranding as 'Freedom 43,' Oklahoma City's KAUT Targets Conservative Viewers === By Andrew Gauthier on March 25, 2011 5:37 PM
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/rebranding-as-freedom-43-oklahoma-citys-kaut-targets-conservative-viewers_b8111
Oklahoma City's KAUT is undergoing an aggressive rebranding effort to appeal to the more than 50,000 active and reserve military personnel in Oklahoma. Next month, KAUT (channel 43), a MyNetworkTV-affiliate which airs a two-hour morning newscast in addition to a half-hour nightly newscast at 9 p.m., will relaunch as "Freedom 43."
"For the first [time?], a TV station is aiming its news focus not at a particular demographic, age group, or gender," boasts Jim Boyer, KAUT's president and general manager, "but at an audience bound by social connections and shared values."
"Freedom 43 TV is for all Oklahomans who believe in faith, freedom, and patriotism," Boyer said, in announcing the brand makeover.
KAUT's new identity appears to be in line with that of Fox News, with programming based on a specific worldview and meant to draw a conservative audience.
"We usually focus on covering geographic areas or news events of the day," says Mary Ann Eckstein, KAUT's news director and senior vice president. "While we will continue to do that, we are also going to tap into the culture and beliefs of our audience with things like local commentary and new franchise reports that appeal to our patriotic and conservative viewers."
Anchoring Freedom 43?s revamped 9 p.m. newscast will be Bobbie Miller. In an interesting twist, meteorologist Mike Morgan's weather updates will include forecasts for the places abroad where many Oklahomans are stationed.
KAUT is owned by Local TV, which also owns Oklahoma City's NBC-affiliate KFOR. Freedom 43 officially launches on April 11th.``
Another:
http://newsok.com/oklahoma-citys-kaut-43-to-rebrand-as-freedom-tv-43/article/3551654
The station`s chequered history is pretty well covered here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KAUT-TV
(Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 13845, WWCR, April 7 at 1406 unlike a few minutes earlier, surged to VG signal during cross-breed holsters ad (just what I need!! Or was it Holsteins?), in sudden sporadic-E enhancement on HF, but not reaching their next frequency, 15825, still weak. Anyway, a hopeful sign for the oncoming spring/summer Es season into VHF.
I figured 13845 would fade down to usual poor level, but it did not: still inbooming while 15825 was not, at further chex 1812, 2045. Could normal propagation have improved to the point that Es is not necessary to get 13 MHz in here at only one megameter skip distance? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 17820, VOA Portuguese to Africa is now here for A-11, ex-17740, VG signal April 7 at 1813 except the announceress is speaking with a pronounced Brazilian accent, a country VOA abandoned years ago, something about debating technical problems in Rio. It`s 94 degrees from Greenville, daily at 1700-1800, extended weekdays to 1830. Is it also a de-facto Brazilian service now, altho unaptly timed?
Wondering what other usage of Greenville remains, I check HFCC A-11: 17820 is the highest and only 16mb frequency on the current schedule.
On 19m, I hit a strange entry, same 94 heading to Africa, but in English on 28-29 March only, at 2330-2430 on 15210. Since it`s split into two different segments, both dated 28-29 March, not clear if it was really on for two days or just one. What for? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1559 monitoring: confirmed on WWRB 2390 and 5050, UT Friday April 8 at 0330. Checking the webstream, the one usually carrying WOR
http://24.159.87.174:8000/stream.mp3.m3u
has The King James Bible Instead.
This page linx to the four different streams:
http://www.wwrb.org/wwrbonline.php
We find WOR is axually running on Global stream 2:
http://www.wwrb.org:8000/stream2.mp3.m3u
While KJV is on both 1 and 3, the one labeled KJV
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
Could it be that RHC has caught on that they have a problem with this collision? I quickly search thru 17, 15, 13, 11 MHz bands for a replacement frequency, but none found, yet. At 2042, 17560 is still vacant of both stations, but at 2058 the RHC carrier is back on, as if intentionally about to resume for Spanish, whose modulation does not kick in until 2103, typical amateurish JIP of `Revista Iberoamericana de la Tarde`, VG signal and much better than // 12040, 12020. So maybe in subsequent days we shall find French, Portuguese and/or Arabic at 1930-2100 on a new clear RHC frequency. Or maybe it just broke down today and will stick to 17560 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** EGYPT. R. Cairo is really fond of the out-of-band lower side of 9 MHz. April 7 at 0131 I am hearing it on 9315, 9305 and 9290.
9315 is open carrier, or possibly just barely modulated. Spanish via Abu Zabaal is scheduled at 0045-0200, English 0200-0330.
9305 is the usual extremely distorted Arabic service, via Abis at 19-07. I often hear it after 0500, 0600, but unlistenable.
9290 has some weak modulation at 0132. Scheduled as Spanish via Abu Zabaal to SAm at 0045-0200.
But that`s not all. HFCC A-11 shows all these other low-9 frequencies at some time during the day from ERU: 9250, 9280, 9295, 9310.
While hunting thru HFCC, let`s pull out all the R. Cairo English frequencies:
1215-1330 17870
1600-1800 12170 or 15345
1900-2030 11510 or 15270
2115-2245 5770 or 6270
2300-2430 6270
0200-0330 9315
I am assuming that where two frequencies are registered, only one will really be in use, as usual for English. I`m surprised that nothing but 6270 is found for 6270 at 2300 in the summer to WNAm; should be on much higher band, and Cairo may have been among those stations scared out of the 6200-6300 range by the Russians. Is the 2115 broadcast really on 5770, or 6270? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GREECE. 9420, April 8 at 0129 with classical music, also // 7475 at 0142. That`s because of a 4-day strike by journalists thru Monday. John Babbis forwards this about it:
``NEWS BLACKOUT IN GREECE AS JOURNALISTS STRIKE
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,14973098,00.html
Greek journalists began a four-day strike today in protest at the government's austerity measures, leading to a nationwide news blackout. Television channels aired pre-recorded material, radio stations played back-to-back music and newspapers will not be published until Tuesday. Even online news sites shut down.
The Athens journalists' union is demanding the rehiring of journalists recently laid off at several newspapers and TV stations. Many unions have staged months of strikes and demonstrations since the government unveiled austerity measures to battle its budget deficit crisis.
The financial crisis gripping Greece has hit the media sector hard, leading to the closure of several newspapers. Sources: AP/Deutsche Welle`` (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KUWAIT. 15540, R. Kuwait, April 7 at 1809 sounds like Christian preacherman with American accent, so I figure WYFR or something must have taken over the frequency --- but this fair signal with fading has no QRM, sounds much like RK reception has been. Then British-accented YL mentions interest in Arab civilization and culture, Islam.
So must be R. Kuwait`s opening feature really about Islam. By 1947, signal has improved to good with western pop music, even rap, still past 2001, a sure sign of Kuwait, pretty good reception today. Still rocking at 2044, but I missed the news headlines around 2050 before 2100*.
Back at 2000, I looked for the RK Arabic service to C&W NAm opening on 17550, but nothing; must have come on late as it`s there at next check 2017 with Arab music; 2040 into Arabic talk, but signal is fading and weaker by 2100. On other days it`s not been heard at all. So for a while we had a choice between Western and Eastern music from the two frequencies of R. Kuwait toward North America (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** LIBYA. 17725, VOAf from the GJ, April 7 at 1402, poor with ID, drumming (Glenn Hauser, OK,, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** OKLAHOMA. Happened to catch a promo on KFOR-TV 27, OKC, April 7 that its secondary station KAUT, RF 40 will be changing April 11 to ``Freedom 43 TV``, ``red, white and you``, evidently a super-patriotic politico-gospel huxter format?
Not yet; looking at upcoming program listings on zap2it, I see the same mostly syndicated and MyTV network programming as before, except `News Channel 4 at 9` becomes `Freedom 43 News`.
BTW, I was pissed to find that when I brought up zap2it on the same browser I had used earlier today to look at the Antenna TV program listings (reruns, reruns, reruns), it had overwritten my cookie set up for local cable listings, now going directly to Antenna TV. Grrrr.
This change has already been making media news. Here is one story:
``Rebranding as 'Freedom 43,' Oklahoma City's KAUT Targets Conservative Viewers === By Andrew Gauthier on March 25, 2011 5:37 PM
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/rebranding-as-freedom-43-oklahoma-citys-kaut-targets-conservative-viewers_b8111
Oklahoma City's KAUT is undergoing an aggressive rebranding effort to appeal to the more than 50,000 active and reserve military personnel in Oklahoma. Next month, KAUT (channel 43), a MyNetworkTV-affiliate which airs a two-hour morning newscast in addition to a half-hour nightly newscast at 9 p.m., will relaunch as "Freedom 43."
"For the first [time?], a TV station is aiming its news focus not at a particular demographic, age group, or gender," boasts Jim Boyer, KAUT's president and general manager, "but at an audience bound by social connections and shared values."
"Freedom 43 TV is for all Oklahomans who believe in faith, freedom, and patriotism," Boyer said, in announcing the brand makeover.
KAUT's new identity appears to be in line with that of Fox News, with programming based on a specific worldview and meant to draw a conservative audience.
"We usually focus on covering geographic areas or news events of the day," says Mary Ann Eckstein, KAUT's news director and senior vice president. "While we will continue to do that, we are also going to tap into the culture and beliefs of our audience with things like local commentary and new franchise reports that appeal to our patriotic and conservative viewers."
Anchoring Freedom 43?s revamped 9 p.m. newscast will be Bobbie Miller. In an interesting twist, meteorologist Mike Morgan's weather updates will include forecasts for the places abroad where many Oklahomans are stationed.
KAUT is owned by Local TV, which also owns Oklahoma City's NBC-affiliate KFOR. Freedom 43 officially launches on April 11th.``
Another:
http://newsok.com/oklahoma-citys-kaut-43-to-rebrand-as-freedom-tv-43/article/3551654
The station`s chequered history is pretty well covered here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KAUT-TV
(Glenn Hauser, Enid, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 13845, WWCR, April 7 at 1406 unlike a few minutes earlier, surged to VG signal during cross-breed holsters ad (just what I need!! Or was it Holsteins?), in sudden sporadic-E enhancement on HF, but not reaching their next frequency, 15825, still weak. Anyway, a hopeful sign for the oncoming spring/summer Es season into VHF.
I figured 13845 would fade down to usual poor level, but it did not: still inbooming while 15825 was not, at further chex 1812, 2045. Could normal propagation have improved to the point that Es is not necessary to get 13 MHz in here at only one megameter skip distance? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. 17820, VOA Portuguese to Africa is now here for A-11, ex-17740, VG signal April 7 at 1813 except the announceress is speaking with a pronounced Brazilian accent, a country VOA abandoned years ago, something about debating technical problems in Rio. It`s 94 degrees from Greenville, daily at 1700-1800, extended weekdays to 1830. Is it also a de-facto Brazilian service now, altho unaptly timed?
Wondering what other usage of Greenville remains, I check HFCC A-11: 17820 is the highest and only 16mb frequency on the current schedule.
On 19m, I hit a strange entry, same 94 heading to Africa, but in English on 28-29 March only, at 2330-2430 on 15210. Since it`s split into two different segments, both dated 28-29 March, not clear if it was really on for two days or just one. What for? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO 1559 monitoring: confirmed on WWRB 2390 and 5050, UT Friday April 8 at 0330. Checking the webstream, the one usually carrying WOR
http://24.159.87.174:8000/stream.mp3.m3u
has The King James Bible Instead.
This page linx to the four different streams:
http://www.wwrb.org/wwrbonline.php
We find WOR is axually running on Global stream 2:
http://www.wwrb.org:8000/stream2.mp3.m3u
While KJV is on both 1 and 3, the one labeled KJV
(Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###