Radio Sumer replaced Radio Tikrit on 1584 kHz

Clandestine radio programming heard on 1584 kHz has adopted a new brand: Radio Tikrit has been replaced by Radio Sumer on April 21. The Arabic-language station can be heard at 1900-2100 UTC. Radio Tikrit, named after the hometown of ousted Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, obviously lost the remnants of its appeal after the regime of Saddam fell even in Tikrit itself. Radio Sumer programming is believed to be part of a large U.S. psychological warfare operation, and is presumably broadcast to Iraq from a 50-kilowatt transmitter in Kuwait. Under the brand Radio Tikrit, this station began operating in early February as a pro-Saddam black clandestine, which soon began to criticize the Iraqi leadership. The new name Radio Sumer refers to a collection of city states around the Lower Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what is now southern Iraq. It may well be the first civilization in the world, stretching from around 5000 to 2000 BC, and is a great source of pride for present-day Iraqis.
     Mauno Ritola has provided a sample station identification.
(DXing.info, April 22, 2003)

All India Radio launches two new mediumwave stations

All India Radio (AIR) has launched two new mediumwave stations, AIR Naushera on 1089 kHz and AIR Khalsi on 1485 kHz in the state of Jammu & Kashmir. This was reported in an offical schedule received from AIR by Jose Jacob. It was also announced that low-power Vividh Bharathi transmitters were taken off the air recently when new FM transmitters were started. The stations replaced by FM transmitters are Chandigarh on 1431 kHz, Jalandhar C on 1350 kHz and Srinagar D on 1224 kHz.
(DXing.info, April 19, 2003, updated April 22)

Shi'ite Radio Voice of Mujahedin heard on 720 kHz

A new radio station identifying as Radio Voice of the Mujahedin (Mujahideen) has been heard on the frequency of 720 kHz mediumwave. The station has aired commentaries opposing US troops in Iraq and has given airtime to the main Shi'ite opposition group, SCIRI, the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq.
      The station was first logged by Pentti Lintujärvi in Finland on April 11. It has been reported also later with a relatively stable signal, suggesting that a fairly powerful transmitter is being used, possibly located in Iran. The Tehran-backed SCIRI has earlier used transmitters located in Iran for its broadcasts to Iraq. Radio Voice of Mujahedin has announced 90.1 MHz as its FM frequency.
      The station has not given any direct indication of its political affiliation, nor has it been heard announcing any contact information, but its programming suggests that it is run by SCIRI or has close ties with the movement. According to programming monitored by Tarek Zeidan in Egypt, the station is apparently speaking on behalf of the Shi'ite community in Iraq and has sharply criticized American forces in Iraq, urging its listeners to "fight against the infidels, fight against the Americans". BBC Monitoring Service has pointed out that many of the news items aired on the station resemble those found on the SCIRI website.
      SCIRI has earlier operated a station called the Voice of Islamic Revolution in Iraq, which has been broadcasting to Iraq via shortwave facilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). Voice of Islamic Revolution in Iraq has not been logged since March 2003.
      A sample station identification of Radio Voice of Mujahedin is available in the Audio section.
(DXing.info, April 18, 2003, updated on April 21)

Voice of New Iraq on 1170 kHz

A radio station identifying as The Voice of New Iraq and Iraq Media Network has begun broadcasting on the frequency of 1170 kHz mediumwave. The station was first mentioned by the Wall Street Journal on April 16 and first observed by the BBC Monitoring Service on April 17. According to the BBC Arabic Service, the station transmits at 21.00-01.00 Baghdad time (1700-2100 UTC). Conflicting reports give either Baghdad or Umm Qasr as the location of the transmitter - or there may also be two transmitters. According to the WSJ the station is using a 20-kW transmitter and was first on the air on April 15. According to the BBC, monitored by Tarek Zeidan, the station should be audible all over Iraq. 1170 kHz is a frequency never before used by Iraqi Radio, so presumably this is indeed a new transmitter set up by the Coalition troops.
       The Iraq Media Network (IMN) will later include a national TV network and an independent newspaper, all run by previously exiled Iraqis along with journalists recruited from within the country. IMN is the result of the Indigenous Media Project, led by Robert Reilly, former director of the Voice of America. The project is supervised by the Pentagon's Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance, led by retired Lieutenant General Jay Garner, the US-appointed head of Iraq's interim government.
(DXing.info, April 18, 2003)

Voice of Iraqi Liberation now on 657 kHz AM

The Voice of Iraqi Liberation, previously reported on 1206 and 4025 kHz, has been observed on a new frequency of 657 kHz mediumwave. The station was heard by the BBC Monitoring Service on April 18 at 0400-1100 UTC. The frequency of 657 kHz has formerly been used by the Kurdish and General services of the Republic of Iraq Radio. The transmitter site was unknown, but was believed to be located in northern Iraq. It is not clear whether the same transmitter is now being used by the Voice of Iraqi Liberation. The Voice of Iraqi Liberation was first discovered by DXing.info on March 6. It is believed to be run jointly by the Iraqi opposition, first using PUK-owned transmitters (1206 and 4025 kHz) in Sulaymaniyah.
(DXing.info, April 18, 2003)

Bahrain back on shortwave

Radio Bahrain has once again been heard on 9745 kHz shortwave. The station is broadcasting the General program in Arabic, believed to be on the air 24 hours a day. The transmitter is located in Ras Hayan and has a power of 60 kW. The shortwave transmitter has been off the air for the past few years. The reactivated transmissions were first heard by Dave Kernick in the United Kingdom in early April and reported in DXLD 3-067. A sample station identification is available in the DXing.info Audio section.
(DXing.info, April 18, 2003)

New mediumwave stations from Argentina

LU1 Radio Libertador General San Martin is a new station broadcasting from La Plata, Argentina, on the frequency of 1500 kHz. According to Marcelo Cornachioni, who was the first DXer to pick up the station in Argentina, the transmitter power is only 40 watts. The station is broadcasting from Unidad Penitenciaria No. 1 in Melchor Romero, on the outskirts of the city of La Plata. The station is on the air irregularly, with a few hours of programming in the morning and in the evening. Reception quality is poor even in La Plata.
      Newsletter Conexión Digital (no. 207) has listed also the following new stations and changes noted by Cornachioni:
- Radio La Retro, "La Radio del Recuerdo", began broadcasting from greater Buenos Aires on 810 kHz in March 2003.
- Radio Lujan AM (address: Parroquia Nuestra Senora de Lujan, Hipolito Yrigoyen s/n, 8536 Valcheta, Rio Negro, Argentina, tel. 02934-49-3283) is new on 980 kHz, first heard by Arnaldo Slaen, Norberto Anuchnik and Gerardo Choren in January 2003.
- Radio Primera Junta is the new name for Radio Contemporánea on 1130 kHz
- Radio Porteña is the new name of Radio Capital on 1530 kHz
- La Voz del Futuro from Buenos Aires has reactivated on 1530 kHz (ex-1380 kHz)
      A few stations have disappeared from the air; Radio Esmeralda on 850 kHz, Radio Eldorado on 1210 kHz and Radio Cadena Central on 1330 kHz were observed as being inactive.
(DXing.info, April 18, 2003, updated on April 20)

Boat race brings Hong Kong back to shortwave

Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) returns once again briefly on shortwave for a boat race. Weather forecasts intended for boats participating in the San Fernando Race will be aired on 3940 kHz as follows:

date:	time UTC:
April 17	1003
April 18	0003, 1003
April 19	0003, 1003
April 20	0003, 1003
April 21	0003
April 22	0003
April 23	0003
April 24	0003
April 25	0003
April 26	0003
April 27	0003

The schedule was first reported by Hans Johnson in Cumbre DX. Last fall, Radio Television Hong Kong conducted special shortwave broadcasts during and after the Hainan Race Series 2002 sailing competition, and was reported heard widely.
     On April 16 it was announced that the race is cancelled because of SARS. However, an alternative route was planned for the competitors. Initially it was unclear what effect this would have on the shortwave broadcasts, but the station was heard as scheduled on April 19 by Craig Seager in Australia, reported on ARDXC via DXplorer mailing list.
(DXing.info, April 14, 2003, last update April 20)

News talk WTNI Biloxi MS on the air on 1640 kHz

WTNI is the latest US station on the X-band, reported heard by several IRCA and NRC club members in the US since early April on 1640 kHz. The station, owned by Triad Broadcasting Company, identifies as "Talk radio 1640". It replaces WVMI Biloxi MS on 570 kHz, also with news/talk format. WTNI can be contacted by email or by writing to Triad Broadcasting, 1909 East Pass Road, Suite D11, Gulfport, MS 39507, United States.
(DXing.info, April 13, 2003)

A bold attempt to get the German youth to return to the AM band has failed. Commercial Mega Radio, which was continuosly expanding, inaugurating new transmitters and introducing short excerpts of local programming, has gone bankrupt. Reportedly this happened already on March 17, but programming on at least 576, 630, 693, 1431 and 1575 kHz continued until the afternoon of April 4. The station website as well as relays via Luxembourg on 1440 kHz were history already earlier. 1440 kHz is nowadays broadcasting RTL Radio in German.

British PSYOP station Radio Nahrain launched in southern Iraq

The UK troops in Iraq have set up their own PSYOP radio station called Radio Nahrain (Radio Two Rivers). According to Brigadier General Vincent Brooks, British troops have an AM radio station in Umm Qasr. Brooks announced the start of the station in the daily briefing of the Coalition forces at the CENTCOM headquarters in Qatar on March 28. The station was said to be broadcasting to the residents of Basra, under siege by British troops. Earlier, the coalition had knocked out the Iraqi radio station in Basra. The new station is broadcasting a mix of messages and music. The messages are aimed at the Iraqi troops urging them to surrender as well as at civilians in the city of Basra, giving them safety instructions to avoid getting hurt during the fighting. The content is partly produced by the US and partly by the British. The British troops have also dropped leaflets in the city. News about the station have surfaced through interviews of Major Harry Taylor of the 42 Commando Royal Marines' Psyops, but the British public affairs officials at the CENTCOM heaquarters in Qatar have been unable to contact him to confirm details of the frequencies. The FM frequency has been said to be 100.4 MHz and AM either 693 or 756 kHz.
(DXing.info, April 4, 2003)

The Far East Broadcasting Association (FEBA) has closed down its shortwave transmitters in the Seychelles. The last transmission was aired on March 29. After 30 years of service, the shortwave aerials are dismantled, which is expected to last for about three months. Maintaining a large shortwave station on a remote island proved to be too expensive, and Feba has instead decided to buy airtime from other shortwave transmitters to reach its audiences in the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa. Starting March 30 Feba is using 11 transmitter sites in six different countries to broadcast its Christian programming. Feba has signed a contract with VT Merlin Communications to deliver its programming over Merlin's global network of shortwave transmitters. Feba has programming in over 60 languages.

The purpose of the radio news section is to inform about new mediumwave (AM) and shortwave broadcasting stations worldwide. Other news are published only on major international broadcasters or issues very relevant to DXers. New programs and schedules are not covered.

The news are edited by Mika Mäkeläinen. Extracts from news items may be quoted if the website http://www.DXing.info is mentioned as source. See terms of use for details.