WORLDWIDE DX CLUB Weekly Top News

19.00-19.30 Uhr 7260 kHz (Woofferton 300 kW, 180deg) fuer Nordafrika:
Franzoesisch, donnerstags
Summer A-06 entry looks like on 11950 kHz, like in A-05 season.
(Dr. Hansjoerg Biener-D, wb, wwdxc BC-DX Jan 30)
11710: Noted a scratchy audio signal of NHK Skelton Cumbria relay this
morning, 34 kHz wide from 11693 to 11727 kHz. Scheduled 0800-1000 UT, 300
kW, 70 degrees.
(Wolfgang Bueschel-D, harmonics yg Jan 29)
12000 West Africa Democracy R. via Woofferton-UK on Jan 31 at 0851-0900*
UT. 34222. French, Talk, ID at 0856 UT.
(Kouji Hashimoto-JPN, JPNpremium Feb 3)
17860 West Africa Democracy R. via Woofferton-UK on Jan 30 at 0900-0922
35433 English, IS and ID, Opening announce, Nx and local mx.
17860 West Africa Democracy R. via Woofferton-UK on Jan 31 at *0900-0910
35433-35422 English, 0900 sign on with IS, ID, Talk.
(Kouji Hashimoto-JPN, JPNpremium Feb 3)
USA IBB cuts its SW txion hours by 90,000 a year US govt international
broadcasting has started to implement further major SW freq cuts from
today. George Moore, Director of IBB Engineering and Technical Services,
has informed staff that fiscal year 2006 and 2007 budget constraints for
the Broadcasting Board of Governors require implementation of "across the
board efficiencies". In practice, this means reducing SW txions by
approximately 90,000 txion hours per year. Operational orders implementing
these reductions will be sent to all stations over the next few days. Mr
Moore also warns that "in addition to these reductions, it is possible
that further efficiencies will be necessary to meet the budgetary goals
and objectives that have been established by the President."
A revised Voice of America freq schedule effective today is now online at:
(IBB Engineering and Technical Services; via John Figliozzi-USA, RNW MN NL
Feb 1)
Voice of America cuts 247 SW txion hours per day. Move is due to govt
budget reductions and shift of U.S. international broadcasting resources
to the war on terror. Effective 1 February 2006. See VOA schedule showing
the freqs that were dropped.
(via Mike Cooper-USA, dxld Feb 2)
At present IBB deleted VoA programmes by 103hrs 45min, RFE 86 hrs, RFA 17
hrs, OCB 32 hrs.
And decreased Tinang outlet from 500 kW to 250 kW, as VoA by 21hrs, RFA 68
hrs.
Decreased Sawa-Arabic 1431 kHz Djibouti to 300 kW, daytime at 11.5 hrs.
Additional Turk 7285 1900-2000 UT via Lampertheim.
Increase ERT-ERA5 via Greenville 17565 at 2000-2200 UT, now 500 kW. (wb)
A further thought: VOA's contracts with third party companies such as VT
Merlin probably prevent VOA from suddenly cancelling agreed transmitter
bookings in a big way mid-way through a schedule period. So it's likely
that immediate cuts will be at IBB's own sites, while major cuts can be
expected to relays via third parties at the end of next month.
Is this such a disaster for many VOA listeners? The traditional idea that
all SW txions to specific areas had to be on at least four frequencies
(two in the optimum band, bracketed by at least one in the bands