Bulgaria: DX Program, January 7, 2011

DX Program, January 7, 2011

In this programme:
- Radio broadcast in 2011 – prognoses and expectations 
- Conditions for radio reception through the next week 
- Radio calendar 
- Broadcast Observations 
- DX Mix # 

There were big changes in telecommunications in the first years of the 21st century. There are a computer, a cable or satellite TV, mobile phones and other modern technical appliances in almost every household in the developed countries. People receive and exchange information via those and with the help of Internet. The same is happening step-by-step in the other countries too. One of the major informational tools – the radio, is used by most of the people in their cars, while they are traveling and usually listening to local radio stations, transmitting in short waves. However, the International Telecommunication Union has concluded that the number of middle and long wave radio listeners in Asia is over 1 bln., while on the other continents these are tens of millions. Radio transmitters of different categories are still highly popular on the markets. There have been attempts for rebirth of radio broadcast since early 90s, relying on satellites and digital technology. Unfortunately, the systems for receiving of radio signals, broadcast from satellites and received at home or in the car via radio couldn't become too popular. That was what happened with the Worldspace satellite triad – three satellites in equatorial orbit over Africa, Asia and Latin America; then the Sirius and "XM" technologies in USA etc. Germany was the first country in Europe that started using the Astra system and then the Digital Audio Broadcasting /DAB/. Only DAB was implemented to some degree there and in other states, such as the UK. However, DAB can only be used on FM. The new technology, called Digital Radio Mondiale /DRM/ and designed to transmit on short, medium and long waves cost most. A consortium united in 1997 radio stations, such as Deutche Welle, the BBC etc. There are many radio stations nowadays that transmit regular or experimental emissions in DRM mode. However, the enthusiasm in this area is not the same. That is because there are broadcasts, but no listeners. The reasons are different, but the main one is the fact that there is no cheap and reliable radio transmitter on the market. 2011 forecasts say that the number of radio listeners around the world will remain the same, but the number of citizen informational broadcasts will be reduced, while the religious ones will increase. Radio activity in short and middle waves is expected to expand in China, Iran, etc. 
The period of poor solar activity continues. There were days before Christmas, when the number of solar spots was equal to zero. The sun is expected to become a bit more active through the forthcoming days via a periodic increasing of the Sun Stream created in the coronal holes, with following violations of the Earth's magnetic field. These will be accompanied by the Aurora phenomenon /polar lights/. Radio receiving is expected to be improved at the northern latitudes during the bright part of the day for the 11 16 MHz frequencies. 
Radio calendar for the first week of the new year is related mainly to January 1st. The first radio program was transmitted in Ireland 85 years ago. The first emissions of the General Overseas Service of the BBC took place on the same date in 1947. Radio Europe One started to broadcast in 1955, while radio Deutschlandfunk – in 1962, both in Germany. The work of radio of Nigeria began in 1962. Then radio Europawelle Saar from Germany started transmitting on January 2 1964 and the Foreign Service of the BBC began on January 3 1938. On January 4 1971 Radio Sofia 1 became Horizont, Sofia 2 – Hristo Botev and Sofia 3 – Orfei. 

Broadcast Observations: 
NEW ZEALAND: Radio New Zealand International was heard here at 11.35 h on 13660 kHz with its latest for 2010 DX Program presented by Kevin Hand ,Myra Oh and Adrian Sainsbury. The next DX issue will be aired on Jan , the 24 th . 

CAUCASUS: Radio Voice of Justice with an identification in Azeri language 
" Edaletin Sesi Radiosu " was heard at the start of the broadcast 14.08 часа on the new frequency 9679.5 kHz . Boradcasts are on Tuesday and Friday from Stepanakert , Nagorno-Karabakh and talk about the peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan . 

GUAM: Radio KTWR was heard with a weak signal and a program in English at 08:25 on 15170 kHz in English , also radio KSDA " The Voice of Hope " at 13:30 on 9655 kHz in Russian – both are Christian religious radio stations broadcasting from the island of Guam . 

ERITREA: The Eritrean radio oftenly named as Voice of the Broad Masses оf Eritrea was noted on four frequencies in the 40 meters Ham Band as follows : 7120 ; 7160 ; 7165 and 7175 kHz at 04.00 hours. 

Compiled by : Rumen Pankov  

DX MIX / 03.01-09.01.2011 

All hours in Universal Time Coordinated (UTC), all frequencies in kilohertz (kHz). 

Romania: Radio Romania International has made a change of frequency in English: 
0100-0200 on a new frequency 7355 Galbeni 300 kilowatts / 310 degrees for North America. The frequency changed is 7325, due to interferences by The Voice of America in English. 

Russia: WYFR Family Radio broadcasts additional emissions for Northwestern Europe: 
1900-2100 in Swedish and English on a frequency of 7240 Moscow 250 kilowatts / 285 degrees 

Germany: Changes of frequencies, made by Deutsche Welle: 
1300-1400 at Hausa new frequency 15260 Kigali 250 kilowatts / 310 degrees for West Africa. The frequency changed is 15275 
1330-1400 at Dari additional 15275 Kigali 250 kilowatts / 030 degrees for West Asia 

Now here are some changes, made by radio stations, working with Media Broadcast(MBR): 
Radio Sadaye Zindagi of Dari 
1600-1630 new frequency 9445 Wertachtal 250 kilowatts / 090 degrees for West Asia. The frequency changed is 11830 that replaced frequency 11955 for a short period of time 

Hamada Radio International works on Hausa according to the following new time schedule: 
0530-0600 on 7350 and 1930-2000 on 9840 from Monday to Friday 
1400-1430 on 17485 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. A transmitter is used for all emissions in Wertachtal 100 kilowatts / 180 degrees for West Africa 

WYFR Family Radio 
1800-2000 on Solano and Zulu new frequency 12140 Wertachtal 500 kilowatts / 165 degrees for South Africa, instead of 11820 
1900-2200 in English new frequency 9925 Wertachtal 500 kilowatts / 180 for West and Central Africa, instead of 9480 

Belgium: Gunaz Radio is a new station of Azeri for Central Asia: 
1430-1930 on frequency 7510 Mykolaev 250 kilowatts / 130 degrees as of December 29th 

Great Britain: The ВВС has made a change of frequencies, broadcasting in Hindi for South Asia 
0230-0300 new frequency 11945 Kranji 250 kilowatts / 315 degrees, instead of 17760 

Changes in frequencies, made by radio stations that use transmitters of BABCOCK: 
Radio Free Chosun in Korean for North Korea 
1500-1600 new frequency 5760 Tashkent 100 kilowatts / 065 degrees, instead of 6225 

WYFR Family Radio in English for South Asia 
1500-1600 new frequencies 9895 and 11995 Dhabayya 250 kilowatts / 105 and 090 degrees, instead of 9495 and 12015.

Compiled by: Ivo Ivanov

Source:DX Program, January 7, 2011 http://bit.ly/ek5mzk

 (Yimber Gaviria, Colombia)