NEWS and REPORTS
Edited by Tony Rogers
This is an on-going compilation of news and reports for July 2024 to support the various DX Guides.
News items on this page may be further updated if necessary throughout the month.
Updated: 26 July 2024
News and reports that have appeared on this page in the past have been archived in the DX Guides Newsletter
All times mentioned are UTC, unless otherwise stated
News items may be reproduced, but please credit the original contributor (and any other sources mentioned), as well as dxguides.info
USAGM news
Cut backs and discontinuation of services on mediumwave and shortwave seems to be the order of the month for both Voice of America and Radio Free Asia during July 2024. Revised schedules have not yet been established for either station, especially with significant changes likely with the ending of broadcasts from the USAGM relay stations at Tinian and São Tomé (see below), but the relevant guides will be updated as soon as possible.
Relays via Tinian and São Tomé discontinued: Dan Robinson posted to the World of Radio IO Group on 12 July 2024 that a source has told him "All shortwave out of Tinian and São Tomé has been cut off. The elimination of transmissions -- VOA, RFA -- is a precursor to shutting down those stations over the next year. They have to deal with the personnel, the equipment etc."
USAGM São Tomé on MW 1530 kHz: I monitored 1530 kHz on Saturday 20 July 2024 for the evening transmissions from USAGM São Tomé and Voice of America was only heard between 1830-2030 UTC with French at 1830-2000 and English at 2000-2030. It appears that the morning transmissions may have stopped completely, with nothing heard during a few random checks made over the past week. (Tony Rogers using the KiwiSDR at Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, 21 July 2024)
Radio Free Asia has discontinued Cantonese broadcasts on shortwave, with their last day being 7 July 2024. A message on their website stated: "The Cantonese section of the station will suspend shortwave broadcasting starting from July 8. In the future, resources will be focused on expanding multimedia communication and adding content. The new transfer will not affect overall news coverage. Viewers can still receive a large amount of our news information on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Podcasts. Thank you for your continued support".
Mediumwave news
CYPRUS Monte Carlo Doualiya via Encompass' Zakaki relay station in Cyprus that had been on 639 kHz at 1600-1700 UTC in Arabic was missing when checked on Sunday 7 July and Monday 8 July 2024. So it appears that MCD may have discontinued this mediumwave broadcast. Like Radio France Internationale (RFI), MCD is part of France Médias Monde, the French state-owned holding company. It produces Arabic programmes in Paris, and airs 24 hours per day to audiences in the Middle East and Maghreb over local FM transmitters, satellite and on its website. (Tony Rogers using TWR Cyprus KiwiSDR)
GRENADA Hurricane Beryl, which became the strongest hurricane to hit the island of Carriacou, made landfall on 1 July 2024 as a high-end category 4 hurricane. Beryl was said to have "flattened" the island. A message was subsequently posted on the website of Harbour Light of the Windwards, which is located on Carriacou, which stated: "Notice: The Harbour Light’s generator building was badly damaged and the AM tower fell down in the passing of Hurricane Beryl. The AM transmitter building lost it's roof and the AM transmitter got wet. Other minor facility damage was sustained. We hope to have the FM and streaming back in the next week or two, Lord willing". Harbour Light usually broadcasts on 1400 AM and is widely reported. Further information on this topic may be found at Medium Wave Info.
ISLE OF MAN Manx Radio launches extra Gold service with live breakfast show: Manx Radio Gold has launched playing ‘the greatest hits on earth’ primarily via connected devices but will also appear on AM and DAB. It will simulcast on 1368 kHz AM when it isn’t being used to relay Tynwald, Manx language programming, FC IoM live football commentary, Radio Caroline North weekends and more from the main Manx Radio service. A dedicated live breakfast show will air on the station, hosted by Andy Wint each weekday. Chris Sully, Manx Radio Managing Director told RadioToday: "As Manx Radio celebrates its Diamond anniversary (having been Britain’s first legal commercial radio station), we wanted to offer listeners greater choice in what we offer. "Manx Radio will still fulfil its full public service remit with news, information, the Mannin Line phone in, the daily ‘Update’ news programme and a speech heavy breakfast show all on the FM service along with a huge range of podcasts via the website. "The new smartspeaker station, Manx Radio Gold, will carry Manx Radio news bulletins but will be a music focussed and fun alternative listen for the Isle of Man community". The station started on 1 July 2024 at 7 am. (Ray Martin/RadioToday, 1 July 2024)
KUWAIT Kuwait launches first ever Hindi radio broadcast: The following is a press release that appeared widely on the internet around 21 April 2024 regarding the start of a weekly Hindi broadcast on Radio Kuwait. It refers to "AM 96.3" but presumably this should read "AM 963 kHz", indicating that it is aired on mediumwave as well as FM (although at the time of editing this has not been confirmed): "Kuwait has launched its first ever Hindi radio broadcast, marking a historic moment applauded by India as a significant step towards enhancing the bilateral relationship between the two nations. The Hindi program will air every Sunday on Kuwait Radio, broadcasting on FM 93.3 and AM 96.3. The Indian Embassy in Kuwait commended the country’s Ministry of Information for the initiative, announcing on X, “The inaugural Hindi radio broadcast in Kuwait has begun!” “Embassy of India expresses appreciation to @MOInformation for starting a Hindi programme on Kuwait Radio on FM 93.3 and AM 96.3 every Sunday (8.30-9 pm) starting 21 April 2024, a step that will further strengthen,” the diplomatic statement read. The Embassy also expressed its support for the initiative, stating that it would contribute to enhancing the bilateral ties between India and the Gulf states. Media reports highlight that the Indian community in Kuwait, comprising approximately one million people, is the largest expatriate community in the country and is highly regarded among expatriate groups. The community includes engineers, physicians, accountants, scientists, and merchants". So the time to check appears to be 1730-1800 UTC on Sundays on MW 963 kHz, with it presumably taking over the last half-hour of the Urdu programme on Sundays that is scheduled at 1600-1800. (Tony Rogers)
THAILAND Thanks to checks made by Dave Kenny, it has been confirmed that the Saranrom Radio Monday-only 1100-1130 UTC broadcast in English on 1575 kHz has been discontinued and it is now in Thai at this time, the same as it is on Tuesday-Friday.
Shortwave news
ARGENTINE ANTARCTICA Manuel Méndez gives an update on LRA36 based on a Whatsapp message from Adrian Korol, RAE Director on 1 July 2024: "LRA36 realizará esta semana una transmisión especial de prueba. Será el viernes 5 de julio entrel as 0100 y las 0400 UTC en 15476 usb. Asímismo el jueves 4 de julio, entre las 1800 y las 2000 UTC se realizará la emisión habitual. Se agradece especialmente todo reporte de recepción y registro de las transmisiones mencionadas, así como la difisuión de esta información entre radioaficionados, diexistas y radioescuchas" (Google translation from Spanish: LRA36 will carry out a special test transmission this week. It will be on Friday, July 5 between 0100 and 0400 UTC at 15476 usb. Likewise, on Thursday, July 4, between 1800 and 2000 UTC, the usual transmission will take place. Any report of reception and registration of the aforementioned transmissions is especially appreciated, as well as the dissemination of this information among radio amateurs, DXers and radio listeners). (Manuel Méndez, Spain, WOR iog)
ETHIOPIA Using a recently added KiwiSDR in Addis Ababa, it appears that Radio Oromiya on 6030 kHz, Amhara Regional State Radio on 6090 kHz and Radio Fana on 6110 kHz are all currently on-air. However, Radio Ethiopia seems to have discontinued its use of 7110 kHz. (quick-fire observations by Tony Rogers on 17 July 2024)
ETHIOPIA (target broadcast) The Pan American Broadcasting (PAB) HFCC registered Sunday-only broadcast at 1630-1700 on 17815 kHz was heard again on Sunday 7 July 2024. It starts with an ID that sounds like something like "Ye'Afrika Rediyo Ageligiloti" ("African Radio Service") in presumed Amharic. Clearly Christian in content, it's half-hour consists of prayers and talks. The HFCC registration indicates a relay via Issoudun, France. (Tony Rogers using TWR Cyprus KiwiSDR)
FINLAND A new licensed short wave station Radio Blacksmith Knoll is testing on 6120 kHz from Pori, West Coast of Finland. The first test transmission took place on 30 June 2024 at 2100 UTC (corresponding to the Finnish midnight of 1 July). The licensed power is 25 watts which goes to the 43-meter-long dipole antenna from a transceiver. The license is valid from 1 July to 6 August 2024. The station announces next transmission for 1-3 July to be random test transmissions during the days and evenings. Fine tuning of the system and preparing studio for more controlled schedule. This goes as long as needed to verify the workings of both the studio and the transmitter. Several different methods, test tones, music and other audio will be used, some of them very odd ones! Radio Blacksmith Knoll is the fourth Finnish private SW station. The others are: Scandinavian Weekend Radio, Virrat since 2000; Realmix Radio, Raasepori since March 2024; Radio Piko, Asikkala since May 2024. Sources and more information: https://blacksmith-knoll.blogspot.com and https://www.fmdx.tk/new-private-sw-station-in-finland/ (via Mike Terry, BDXC-UK iog)
JAPAN / KOREA (NORTH) Shiokaze introduced
new frequencies on 28 June 2024. The new schedule is: 1300-1400 on 6070 and 6165
kHz, 1405-1435 on 5935 and 5980 kHz, 1600-1700 on 5920 and 5975 kHz and 1705-1805
on 5955 and 6090 kHz. Shiokaze (Sea Breeze) broadcasts to North Korea and is
operated by the independent investigating organisation "Investigation
Commission on Missing Japanese Probably Related to North Korea", regarding
persons believed to have been abducted by North Korea prior to 1983. All
broadcasts are from Yamata in Japan (300 kW). They usually have an English
programme at 1300-1400 and 1600-1700 on Wednesdays (otherwise in Korean and
Japanese). (new frequencies as per Hiroshi's blog at http://hiroshi.mediacat-blog.jp/)
KYRGYZSTAN A check on 5130 kHz using the Novosibirsk KiwiSDR confirmed that the Kyrgyztelekom Shortwave Relay Service (which appears to still go under the name of "Hit Shortwave" as per a brief announcement sometimes made in presumed Kyrgyz at the start and end of the broadcasts) was on air on 1 and 2 July 2024, with Monday 1 July being the start of the July series of weekday broadcasts. This low power shortwave transmitter at Krasnaya Rechka (thought to be around 15 kW) is owned and operated by Kyrgyztelekom. It is often reported with programmes of "Radio Sadaye Zindagi" (Voice of Life), a Christian programme of Pamir Ministries in Dari for listeners in Afghanistan, but appears to also broadcast programmes in Central Asian languages on behalf of other Christian organisations. It is usually on-air between 1455-1755v UTC, weekdays only from the 1st to the 15th of each month (sign-off is variable, noted at 1755 on 1 July and as early as 1736 on 2 July). A monitoring report, which was mainly conducted in 2023, shows the behaviour of the transmitter on a month by month basis during that year with random checks since. (Tony Rogers using the Novosibirsk KiwiSDR, Russia); update: not heard on or after 16 July 2024 as expected (TR)
MYANMAR Myanma Radio was heard starting up on
5985 kHz at 1116 UTC on 5 July 2024, joining 9730 kHz which was already on air.
The usual song was heard at 1128 which mentions "kiloHertz" as part
of the lyrics. News in Burmese followed at 1130, followed by further talk at
1146 which seemed to be news-related. 9730 kHz went off at 1150 leaving 5985 kHz
to continue for the evening period. (Tony Rogers using Siliguri KiwiSDR, India)
Also heard on 5985 kHz from tune-in at 1605 UTC until sign-off at 1630 on 26 July 2024. No English at this time as used to be the norm, just music and talk in Burmese. Co-channel with CRI Swahili. (Tony Rogers using Siliguri KiwiSDR, India)
NEW ZEALAND Radio New Zealand new DRM Shortwave Transmitter now operating: Digital Radio Mondiale, 10 July 2024: Radio New Zealand’s new 100 kW shortwave DRM transmitter has been installed at Rangitaiki Transmitter Centre and is now fully operated by the New Zealand public broadcaster. Tests on the antennas have already been carried out by Swiss technicians at Ampegon. The first tests were broadcast without audio with BF signals of different frequencies. DRM is also tested with “test messages” at 17900 kHz. RNZ targets Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa, Cook Islands, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Tonga, but the broadcasts are widely received as far as Europe. For full description go to: https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/technical. (via Mike Terry posted to BDXC-UK & WOR iog's)
TAIWAN Radio Taiwan International German broadcasts from Tamsui during July/August 2024: The German service of Radio Taiwan International will once again be broadcasting directly from the Tamsui transmission center in northern Taiwan to Europe and North Africa during July and August 2024. To prepare for this German-language radio activity, a test broadcast will take place on Saturday 6 July on shortwave, at the following times and frequencies: 1700-1710 UTC on 11995 kHz (325°), 1730-1740 UTC on 9545 kHz (315°) and 1745-1755 UTC on 7250 kHz (315°). Listening reports on these tests in 10-minute segments will help RTI identify the two optimum frequencies for the July/August 30-minute "Live from Tamsui" broadcast in the best possible listening conditions. The programme will be broadcast in German on shortwave every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 12 July to 4 August 2024. Frequencies and times will be announced after the test broadcast on 6 July. A special QSL card will be available for all listening reports sent by post, e-mail to the German service at deutsch@rti.org.tw or via the radio's online form, both for the test broadcast and for the July/August broadcasts.
Radio Taiwan International French broadcasts from Tamsui during August/September 2024: The French service of Radio Taiwan International will once again be broadcasting directly from the Tamsui transmission center in northern Taiwan to Europe and North Africa during August and September 2024. To prepare for this French-language radio activity, a test broadcast will take place on Sunday 7 July on shortwave, at the following times and frequencies: 1700-1710 UTC on 11995 kHz (325°), 1730-1740 UTC on 9545 kHz (315°) and 1745-1755 UTC on 7250 kHz (315°). Listening reports on these tests in 10-minute segments will help RTI identify the two optimum frequencies for the August 30-minute "Live from Tamsui" broadcast in the best possible listening conditions. The programme will be broadcast in French on shortwave every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 9 August to 1 September 2024. Frequencies and times will be announced after the test broadcast on 7 July. A special QSL card will be available for all listening reports sent by post, e-mail to the French service at fren@rti.org.tw or via the radio's online form, both for the test broadcast and for the August/September broadcasts.
Radio Taiwan International in Russian at 1700-1730 UTC via Kostinbrod, Bulgaria, is on 9790 kHz (ex-5900) since 1 July 2024. (Alex Miatlikov, Ukraine)
VANUATU Radio Vanuatu appears to be operating to the following schedule on shortwave as of 7 July 2024, subject to confirmation: 1830v-1958 on 3945 kHz, 1959-2158 on 7260 kHz, 2159-0658 on 9960 kHz, 0659-0958 on 3945 kHz and 0959-1100v on 7260 kHz. (Tony Rogers using KiwiSDR's in Australia and New Zealand)
The Radio Vanuatu Shortwave Report has been updated, with a timeline of events as reported by DXers since January 2022 (and acknowledging in particular those reports posted to the World of Radio IO Group). This is also linked under Vanuatu in the Pacific on Shortwave guide.
Shortwave programmes
The following programmes are highly recommended and may be of interest to shortwave listeners
C. M. OBRECHT SHORTWAVE RADIO Claudius Obrecht is a Swiss musician whose programmes can be heard on shortwave. Claudius writes on his website: "I'm broadcasting on shortwave (or MW), on different frequencies. There are programs approx. all 1-2 months transmitted from different broadcasters to the whole world (containing my mixed music program as well as programs containing my own music only, alternating) and also a monthly mixed-music program featuring a wide range of music styles transmitted to Europe via Channel 292 (see www.channel292.de for schedules). For the other broadcasts are announcements in my social media accounts and the table below (the table lists forthcoming programmes-TR). I transmit with Encompass (Woofferton), Media Broadcast, ORS Moosbrunn (under channel292), WRMI Miami and medium wave over Radio Baltic Waves International. "C. M. Obrecht shortwave radio" is an official registered swiss private radio station and SUISA licensed". More information can be found at cmobrecht.jimdofree.com/shortwave-radio.
ENCORE - CLASSICAL MUSIC The regular broadcast times of Encore by WRMI and Channel 292 are: Friday 0200-0300 on 5850 kHz over WRMI to US and 2000-2100 on 15770 kHz over WRMI to Europe, Saturday 1000-1100 on 9670 kHz over Channel 292 to Europe, Sunday 0100-0200 on 5850 kHz over WRMI to US and Canada and 1900-2000 on 3955 kHz over Channel 292 to Europe, Monday 0200-0300 on 5950 kHz over WRMI to the US and Canada and Tuesday 1300-1400 on 15770 kHz over WRMI to Europe, east coast of US and Iceland. More information about Encore and the next programme can be found at www.tumbril.co.uk.
POP SHOP RADIO From the Pop Shop Radio website: "Pop Shop Radio goes around the world to bring you great stuff from all over. We play a whole variety of pop music, such as records from the 1960s and 1970s that were played on Top-40 radio stations not only in North America but also on offshore radio and stations like Radio Luxembourg. To make it fun, we also include stuff that didn't make the Top 10 and even reach back into the 1930s to the 1950s to dig up great sounds at 45 and 78 RPM. We like to show that music doesn't have to be in English to be great. Stopping off in places like Sweden, Finland, the Czech and Slovak Republics, Germany, France, Brazil, South Africa, Singapore, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand we find cool records for you to groove to! We mix it all in the style of Top-40 radio of the 1960s and 1970s with jingles and real records played by a real DJ. We are everything that the boring FM corporate stations that have no personality and say they play the best variety are not. Last, but not least, Pop Shop Radio is made in the town of Hope in (super, natural) British Columbia in Canada. Check out our menu to find out how and when to listen to us on shortwave, an archive of our past shows, a map of where our listeners live and our newsletter. We are Canada's international voice to the world". More information can be found at popshopradio.ca.
RADIO NORTHERN EUROPE INTERNATIONAL Radio Northern Europe International is a shortwave show playing the best new pop, dance and traditional music from Norway, the UK, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Iceland to the world! RNEI shows are "a 30 minute journey through a blend of little known new music from Northern Europe in various languages and styles finished off with embedded digital-mode playlists and a small amount of talk to keep everything flowing nicely". You can see all the ways to listen to RNEI by clicking here.
TEXAS RADIO SHORTWAVE Texas Radio Shortwave produces music and topical programming, usually featuring Texas artists. A programme guide has been issued by Terry Colgan of TRSW for the remainder of 2024. All programmes are currently scheduled on Channel 292 in Germany which broadcasts on 3955, 6070 and 9670 kHz. More details about TRSW can be found on their Facebook page.
WAVESCAN Wavescan is AWR's weekly DX programme about the world of international broadcasting, especially shortwave. It includes historical features about famous stations as well as current information and interviews. Each edition also includes a shortwave news report from one of their correspondents around the world. The latest times and frequencies for Wavescan can be found on the British DX Club website on the page for DX, Media and Mailbag Programmes. The Adventist World Radio website also has an archive of past editions of Wavescan.
WORLD OF RADIO World of Radio is a weekly DX programme produced and presented by Glenn Hauser. A new edition is first broadcast each Friday. For times and frequencies see http://www.worldofradio.com/radioskd.html.
Publications
BROADCASTING IN RUSSIAN The 36th edition of the "Broadcasting in Russian" Handbook by the St. Petersburg DX Club has been published. It is the most comprehensive guide to broadcasts in Russian on long, medium and short waves. Information presented in the issue is valid mainly until the end of October 2024 (during A24 broadcasting season). The handbook consists of four parts. 1. GENERAL INFORMATION. This section includes a list of abbreviations and special terms used in this publication, a list of media - foreign agents and blocked by ROSKOMNADZOR (Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Telecom, Information Technologies and Mass Media), as well as a list of changes in the Russian-language broadcasting that have occurred since the publication of the previous issue. 2. AIR BROADCASTING. Station listings in this section include frequency and programme schedules, transmitter location and power, target areas, postal addresses, phone/fax numbers, Web sites, social network pages, e-mail addresses as well as QSL policies of the stations (totally 51 stations from 33 countries and territories of the world). 3. The INTERNET BROADCASTING section contains the same information as in the previous one, but for Internet radio stations of state broadcasting, as well as stations that were earlier broadcast on the air in AM bands, and currently are on the Internet (totally 22 stations from 19 countries and territories of the world). 4. HISTORY OF BROADCASTING. In this historical section the article of Trans World Radio’s history has been continued. The Handbook is exclusively in Russian containing 72 pages of A5 size . The price is 11 USD/10 EUR for hard copy (including delivery by registered mail) or 4 USD/3 EUR for .pdf version by e-mail. Payments are to be made ONLY via PayPal. Please address your requests and questions to St. Petersburg DX Club by e-mail to dxspb[at]nrec.spb.ru or beryozkin[at]sut.ru (not for PayPal payments!). (Alexander Beryozkin, St.Petersburg DX Club)
Tony Rogers comments: This is an excellent publication detailing broadcasts in Russian. Although I do not speak or read Russian, I bought the pdf edition (thanks to Alexander for a very swift reply after payment had been made) and dropped the document into Google Translate. The translated version is quite acceptable for me to use as and when needed. Broadcasting in Russian provides the latest schedules for Russian broadcasts and gives a lot of background information that I find extremely useful. The guide is only US$4 or EUR 3 for the pdf version by email, so a good price for a highly recommended publication!
IRCA SLOGANS An updated list as of 12 July 2024 is now available at https://misc.kg4lac.com/irca. It lists 4,747 US AM stations with their latest slogans. (Kraig Krist, IRCA iog)
MUSIC ON SHORTWAVE A reminder that Alan Roe compiles an excellent guide to Music on Shortwave, which Alan updated on 30 June 2024.