In this fortnight's podcast:
DW launches EBola series to Africa
ABC funding cuts worry RA listeners
Shutting down of International stations
Global 24 testing new frequency
Pirate radio logs
Audio: Radio Havana Cuba
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TRANSCRIPT FOR DX EXTRA NO.15
[Intro:] From Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, Welcome to the DX Extra, the extra thing you need to digest your shortwave news – its show number 15. Hope you are all doing well.
Just a reminder, our blog is at www.dxextra.blogspot.com.au and our email address is
Just a reminder, our blog is at www.dxextra.blogspot.com.au and our email address is
In the headlines this fortnight:
- DW Launches Ebola series to Africa
- ABC funding cuts worry RA listeners
- Shutting down of International Stations
- Global 24 testing new frequency
- Pirate Radio Logs
- Audio:Radio Havana Cuba
19 November 2014
Starting November 19, DW launches a radio series on Ebola for listeners in Africa, initially in English, followed by four regional languages.
The eight-part series focuses on the most burning questions, myths and fears surrounding the deadly virus.
"Over 5,200 dead, 14,000 infected and new cases appearing in Mali indicate that we can by no means start to relax," says Claus Stäcker, head of DW's Africa Department. "Although there are now various information campaigns, ignorance about Ebola is still widespread. This is fertile ground for rumors, uncertainty and fear."
The series, which targets listeners in West Africa, begins with a kind of "on-air research." The audience listens-in as two African journalists share their own experiences, news agencies' reports, scientific articles or social media discussions, and look for conclusive answers to pressing questions.
"It was important to us not to present ourselves as Western know-it-alls," says Stäcker. In the new format, Africans communicate with Africans. "This allows survivors of the Ebola outbreaks in Gulu, Uganda in 2000 to talk about their experiences in an effort to help the West Africans." It also makes it easier to touch on especially sensitive topics, such as burial customs, rituals in dealing with the dead bodies, hygiene and sexuality.
The current eight-part Ebola special, funded by the Federal Foreign Office, will initially be broadcast in English, followed by French, Hausa, Kiswahili and Portuguese. It can be heard primarily by listeners in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Mali and neighboring states via shortwave, FM and mobile devices.
DW's radio programming reaches more than 40 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to shortwave broadcasts, the programs in Amharic, English, French, Hausa, Kiswahili and Portuguese are re-broadcast by 250 partner stations. DW has over 650,000 Facebook fans in Africa.”
[Audio: RA Sign on]
November 22nd
The question every DXer is wondering is if Radio Australia will be pulled or reduced? The pie will be sliced by next year but we do have an idea of what might be on the chopping block:
In the interview Mr Scott (Managing Director) said:
The current eight-part Ebola special, funded by the Federal Foreign Office, will initially be broadcast in English, followed by French, Hausa, Kiswahili and Portuguese. It can be heard primarily by listeners in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Mali and neighboring states via shortwave, FM and mobile devices.
DW's radio programming reaches more than 40 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to shortwave broadcasts, the programs in Amharic, English, French, Hausa, Kiswahili and Portuguese are re-broadcast by 250 partner stations. DW has over 650,000 Facebook fans in Africa.”
[Audio: RA Sign on]
November 22nd
The question every DXer is wondering is if Radio Australia will be pulled or reduced? The pie will be sliced by next year but we do have an idea of what might be on the chopping block:
In the interview Mr Scott (Managing Director) said:
- [He] Predicts a television revolution next year that could lead to the closure of some TV and radio broadcast transmissions and their replacement with Internet streaming services.
- “Friday's state-based 7.30 programs will be axed
- Lateline will be cut back but it stays on the main channel
- ABC bureaux in Tokyo, Bangkok, New Delhi and New Zealand will also be crunched, with a claimed loss of 20 jobs
- TV production in South Australia outside news and current affairs will be shut down
- $6 million will be sliced off ABC Radio, with big cuts at Classic FM.
- In all around 400 to 500 jobs will go, with people being shown the door by Christmas” (Via ABC News online)
The study points out a need for the service in PNG, The Solomons and Vanuatu. What might make sense is keeping one or two transmitters for those areas (and perhaps other western South Pacific targets) and adding a DRM signal (as RNZI does) for local rebroadcasting purposes. If Asia is to remain a target, just have one or two frequencies at peak morning and evening listening hours. Everything else gets dropped, with major savings in transmission costs.
I'll be somewhat surprised if RA SW is completely closed, but I do expect huge cuts at the very least.
Stephen Luce Houston, Texas “ (Via the DX Listening digest)
“Shutting Down Of International SW Broadcast Radio Stations
and cell phone access and even if they could do so, live in countries that have no infrastructure to do so. Plus daily access to the interweb and cell phones costs lot's of [money] every month, where as shortwave radio is free after the initial investment in a decent shortwave radio.
biased manner. Even Fox News has a bias in it's news reporting.
Global 24” (Via Global 24's website)
[Pirate Theme]
Radio Gaga 6925DSB playing On the Road Again, Cecilia at 00h18UTC Today. Logged by fpeconsultant, Illinios, USA. Sounds like voice processor going over music. Off at 00h40UTC.
And if this news was not enough, we recommend The World of Radio by Glen Hauser, the website www dot world of radio dot com
DX Extra is being relayed via World FM 88.2FM in Tawa, near Wellington in New Zealand.. Worldfm dot co dot nz – all the details are on the website.
[promo]
Before we go it's time to get an audio clip out of the archives. This is audio of Radio Havana Cuba broadcasting today at 03h43UTC on 6000 to Europe.
[Audio: RHC 22.11.1 3h43UTC 6000.wav]
Until next time remember shortwave radio is still full of mysteries – keep tuning and keep reporting. Take care and stay safe.
Press Release
Via DW's website
The ABC's Media Watch program reported the Government would cut the public broadcaster's funding by $50 million a year, on top of the $9 million cut announced in the May budget.
Sources have told the program the cuts will see state-based 7.30 editions axed, Lateline pared back, bureaus in Tokyo, Bangkok, New Delhi and New Zealand scaled back, $6 million sliced off radio budgets and TV production in South Australia shut down.
Speaking on the ABC's Q&A program, Mr Turnbull said the cuts would average at 5 per cent over five years.
"That includes the 1 per cent, it includes everything since the budget, including the budget," he said. "It does not include the cancellation or termination of the Australia Network contract.
"And the reason for that is that that was a contract between the Department of Foreign Affairs and ABC." He said the cuts were reasonable, and were a part of a Government-wide savings exercise necessary to help with the budget. "We're spending more than we are receiving... so we've got to raise some more money and we've got to spend less," Mr Turnbull said.” Via ABC News website
The good news is that at this stage there is no mention of cutting Radio Australia further and Australia Plus TV formerly the Australia Network. But as is Radio Australia is a mess. The schedule is very vague with six and half hours of unknown unscheduled content.
“The current overall Radio Australia schedule doesn't make any sense. Gutting program content while leaving eight or nine transmitters running simultaneously 24/7 would seem to be a misallocation of financial resources.
We will be following the cuts to the ABC closely.
I'm sure that I'm not alone in watching in dismay as international shortwave broadcast radio stations continue to shut down for good and tear down their broadcasting plants, wasting millions of [dollars] in the process. What really irritates me is the alleged logic that bureaucrats use to Justify the shutting down of the stations, easy access to news via the interweb and smart cell phones.
Yes more people nowadays get their news via the interweb and smart cell phones than in the past. But in my opinion the people, mostly in 3rd world countries with tyrannical dictatorships, that need access to unbiased regional and international broadcasted news reports, can't afford interweb
These people and there are still millions of them, still depend on shortwave broadcast radio for their news. Granted some totalitarian governments like China, Cuba, North Korea and Iran still jam international shortwave news broadcasts but these signals still get through. Just ask any ex Soviet Union citizen how the VOA got through the jamming during the cold war.
But when the totalitarian tyrants shut down interweb and cell phone access that's a brick wall end of story. In my opinion millions of people have and are being abandoned by international shortwave broadcasters.
I myself get some news via the interweb and smart cell phone. But I still listen to international shortwave broadcast radio to get a different point of view on a particular issue or subject, because in the U.S.A. the state run media outlets such as CNN, MSNBC, etc. spin a news story in a leftist
So I listen to Radio Australia, the BBC and All India Radio to get another possible view point. [By the way] I really miss Radio Canada International and even the Voice of Russia for their take on things. I would have really liked to have heard Russia's spin on the current Ukrainian crisis.” From Thomas Giella Florida USA.
[Audio: DX Extra Promo No.1][Audio: Grandmaster Flash – The Message.
Global 24 “Frequency Test Tonight on 9465
0000 UTC on November 22 running for 24 hours we will be testing on 9465. Let us know if you can hear it and how well you can hear it. Reception reports to qsls@global24radio.com
Thanks
Here are American and Europirate logs for the third week of November:
Chris Smolinski, Maryland, USA logged Channel Z 6938AM signing on at 23h37UTC Today. Playing Mystery Achievement The Pretenders, ID “Hard to believe Channel Z has been on the air for ten years”. Playing a song with barking dogs “Wonder Dog” still going at 00h02UTC today.
Chris Smolinski again heard Europirate Sluwe Vos 21460 AM at 15h07UTC yesterday 21st November. S2-S5 in New Hampshire ID and thanks for the shout at 15h45, off at 16h00UTC.
Ulx2 has heard Nameless pro-Stalinist pirate on 7200 AM at 14h40UTC been on air regularly for several days on 7200. It's 1kw from South-West Russia playing anti-American and anti-Semitic pro-Stalin songs non-stop no Ids. Another listener thought that North Korea had a new place to swat and that they're running a hair more than 1kw. Assuming the station is on ait 12-15hrs UTC most days. Governemt stations also use this same frequency at other times.
Old Time Radio 6770 21h27UTC 20th November ad for Sir Walter Raleigh cigerettes then what sounded like NBC chimes and intro. Female opera singing and an old time radio show. Still going at 13h00UTC Heard by Chris Smolinski.
All logs via the HF underground forum.
[Audio: RHC 22.11.1 3h43UTC 6000.wav]
And if this news was not enough, we recommend The World of Radio by GlenHauser, the website www dot world of radio dot com DX Extra is being relayed via World FM 88.2FM in Tawa, near Wellington in New Zealand.. Worldfm dot co dot nz – all the details are on the website.
[promo]
Before we go it's time to get an audio clip out of the archives. This is audio of Radio Havana Cuba broadcasting today at 03h43UTC on 6000 to Europe.
[Audio: RHC 22.11.1 3h43UTC 6000.wav]
Until next time remember shortwave radio is still full of mysteries –keep tuning and keep reporting. Take care and stay safe.
Image: Ross Church, Tasmania.
