WORLDWIDE DX CLUB Weekly Top News

against the remaining freqs.
Furthermore, abandoning the highest daytime freq (17670) is not advisable,
since the highest freqs are most immune to jamming - as long as it
propagate.
(Glenn Hauser-OK-USA, dxld Feb 3)
Analyzing the IBB Feb 1 changes, we see a great many txions of VOA and RFA
via Tinang, Philippines[sic, Tinian site via Marianas Isls., wb], reduced
from 500 to 250 kW.
R. Sawa, via Djibouti, 1431 kHz MW, is now running 300 kW in the daytime,
600 kW at night, but not on the schedule at 16-24 UT, which ought to be
'prime time'.
Source of the "Arabic" QRM on 9990 to WWCR 9985; R. Free Afghanistan, via
Kuwait at 1130-1230, ex-19010.
(Aaron Zawitzky-USA, dxld Feb 3)
Recently announced funding cuts by the USA's external broadcasting body,
the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB), have affected the Voice of
America (VOA) txion schedule, effective 1 Feb 2006. This has meant that a
significant proportion of SW freqs and some broadcasts have been reduced
or dropped.
Some of the more extensive cuts are to broadcasts for Europe - up to half
of the freqs carrying Albanian, Croatian, Serbian and Turkish have been
axed. Broadcasts in English have not escaped the cuts - these include the
cessation of the daily three-hour morning broadcast at 0900 UT.
Broadcasts in English to other parts of the world, particularly sub-
Saharan Africa, have faired somewhat better. They sustained only light to
moderate reductions in the number of freqs in use at any one time.
The freq choice available during the three daily broadcasts in Russian has
reduced by up to a third. However, non-English broadcasts to Africa
(Hausa, Swahili etc.) and those targeting the Middle-East, Iran,
Afghanistan and Zimbabwe have been largely unaffected, and in some cases,
have benefited from the changes.
(BBC M 3 Feb via dxld)
BBG Press Release - Broadcasting Budget Targets War on Terror
The proposed fiscal year 2007 budget for U.S. international broadcasting
calls for an overall increase of 4.3% from fiscal year 2006 targeted to
the war on terror and new technology. While proposed increases go
primarily to Middle East Broadcasting Networks and Voice of America (VOA),
non-war on terror related lang sces would see reductions and/or
eliminations.
Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) Chairman Kenneth Y. Tomlinson said,
"In the post-Katrina budget environment, I believe we are fortunate to get
an increase that strengthens our role in the war on terrorism. The '07
proposed budget of $671.9 million follows a 7.5% increase for fiscal year
'06."
In recent years, the Bush Administration and Congress have wiped out the
40 percent cut in spending for international broadcasting during the 1990s
following the end of the Cold War.
For fiscal year 2007, the budget proposal calls for a 13% increase for
Middle East Broadcasting Networks and a 5.3% increase for Voice of
America.