They do have a site, a neat one I think. Arabic only, if I remember correctly.

No doubt Libya has one. Libyan Jamahiriya Broadcasting

Video of the solar eclipse. Very nice. Thanks.

Also, I can't encourage you enough to pick this book up:



Some much information, and essential for figuring out what station you are hearing that is not broadcasted in English. I'd wait until around Christmas time to pick up the 2007 edition.

Is it centered around reception in North America though? I wonder if there's a UK version?

No. The book gives an hour by hour guide, by location, to what you might hear while scanning, and at what frequencies. Sort of like a TV Guide (do you have TV Guide over there?) for shortwave. For example:


Voice of Turkey
Summer only at this time. News followed by Review of the Turkish Press and features (some of them exotic and unusual). Selections of Turkish popular and classical music complete the program. Fifty minutes to Europe and North America on 6140 kHz, and to the Mideast on 7270 kHz. One hour later during winter.

Kol Isreal
Summer only at this time. News for 15 minutes from Isreal Radio's domestic network. To Europe and eastern North America on 7445 (or 11605) and 9435 kHz and to Central America and Australia on 17600 kHz. One hour later in winter.

----------------------------------

This is only for English broadcasts however. The back of the book, the 'blue pages' is a map of sorts that shows the frequency, Universal World Time, and what station is usually broadcasting, at the time and frequency. So when you hear something that sounds Asian, yet you can't quite figure out what it is, you check the blues pages, to find out you were hearing Radio Philippines, or whatever. Very handy.

Also, everything you could possibly want to know about a station, addresses, websites, phones numbers. Marvel at how many stations are broadcasted from Peru, or Papua New Guinea.

Radio reviews, antenna reviews, etc. Wonderful essays throughout the book. The 2006 Edition had a long and excellent article about China: China's Radio, Size Matters. Did you know the Chinese government is notorious for jamming foreign broadcasts?

I'm ready for the 2007 edition.

The Shortwave bible.

Thank you, Пятхъдесят Шест. I'll be in Chester on Saturday, so I'll check out the bookshop there.

Voice of Russia are talking about oil again. It's their favourite subject for them.

No problem!

Often times, when reading about Russia, its pertains some how to its 'gas giant', Gazprom. Their little (but not to be ignored) fued with Georgia over espionage, must have made Gazprom quite angry (oddly), their gas lines to Georgia were 'sabotaged'.

It's about time this thread was revived, and how better to do it than with exciting news of two programmes tomorrow from our old chums at Radio Romania International:

Friday’s “Terra the 21st century”, takes a look at a millennia-old tradition in Romania: purebred horse breeding. You’ll also find out detailed information on specialized studhorse farms and the problems confronting Romanian breeders in Romania nowadays.

Also on Friday in „The Folk Music Box“ Lucretia Ciobanu brings you songs from a beautiful mountainous area in central Romania: Marginimea Sibiului. In “Romanians Around the World” Ioana Masariu interviews Dr. Andre Kraus, (USA), visiting professor at “Aurel Vlaicu” University in Arad, Western Romania.

Radio Canada International's excellent world music program Global Village, featured songs from musicians and artists who also have a career in politics. Including the odd Texas gubernatorial candidate, and country singer, Kinky Friedman.

Cuban music, right now on Radio Habana Cuba.

Also, Fidel Castro is alive and kicking, bummer huh?

INdeed.

I'm listening to a broadcast from Radio Bulgaria. Reception always seems to be good when I pick up one of their broadcasts.

From Radio Polonia (Poland):

Did US demand dismissal of Deputy PM?
07.11.2006

The media published unofficial minutes made by a Polish diplomat after his meeting with the US Deputy Ambassador to Poland Kenneth Hillas. The US emissary to Poland pressed for the dismissal of Deputy PM Roman Giertych. It is believed that it was a reaction to Giertych's appeal for revealing the actual number of victims of current war in Iraq.

I read a fairly long article about Mr. Giertych a while back in the Economist. I was going to post that article here, but as it turns out you must have a subscription account to read the full article, here is the teaser...

Poland's government
Another shake-up in Warsaw

Jul 13th 2006
From The Economist print edition

IT IS easy to argue that the Law and Justice party has done disappointingly little in the nine months since it won Poland's parliamentary and presidential elections. But in one respect it has done a lot: once a regional heavyweight, respected in America and around Europe, the country now attracts ridicule and condemnation. …

I'd like to see the whole thing. Shame.

I could scan it direct from the magazine. I'll add that to the long list of things I need to scan, like the QSL Cards I've recieved. I think I mentioned scanning those months ago, and still have not got around to it.

I still haven't got round to contacting the stations! I did scan the sleeve notes from the Baby Men's 'For King Willy' EP, which I could post (unless I've done so already). The two tracks on side two are on the mixtaoe you got. It was the only thing they ever recorded.

I'm going to email some stations from now on, for sure. I'm putting a post-it thing on the computer.

Sofia's finest is celebrating a birthday:

Radio Bulgaria turns 70

Bulgaria started broadcasting to the world in foreign languages 70 years ago. This laid the beginning of the Overseas Service of the Bulgarian National Radio.
Over the past seven decades Radio Bulgaria (formerly Radio Sofia) has been a radio of friendship, bridging different cultures and countries. At present it broadcasts daily in 10 languages: Bulgarian, English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Turkish, Greek, Serbian and Albanian.

Since May 2004 our output in text, sound and photos can be found online. The unique for this country and region website also offers information in Arabic.
This jubilee program tells of Radio Bulgaria’s path through the years, of our present goals and the way we work. You will also hear congratulations upon the anniversary from radio stations, cultural and friendship societies, educational and other establishments and institutions on five continents, which have opted to receive discs of selections of our programs.
To mark the 70th anniversary the English Language Service presents interviews with staffers, former and present, on what Radio Bulgaria and the English Section have amounted to in their careers and personal lives. We are opening a door on what it has been like to make good, English-language-speaking international radio in Sofia and prompting great numbers across the world to discover more and more about Bulgaria.
The jubilee program has been initiated by Maya Daskalova and its general part has been authored by Veneta Pavlova.
The English Section has been prepared by Margarita Dikanarova with the assistance of Daniela Konstantinova.

Music editor: Sybila Lilova
Sound-engineers: Nickola Velikov, Alexander Spassov and Ivan Nickolov

Listen to the programme here!

Heard this last night on VOA's program Good Morning Africa. Fascinating!

South African Assembly Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage Law
By Scott Bobb
Johannesburg
14 November 2006

Bobb report - Download 318K audio clip
Listen to Bobb report audio clip

In South Africa, the National Assembly has passed a law legalizing same sex unions. The first such law in Africa, it sparked heated debate for months.

The South African parliament Tuesday overwhelmingly passed a law allowing same-sex unions.

The deputy chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Peggy Hollander, announced the vote.

"The voting session is now closed and the result of the division is as follows: the ayes 230, the nos 41 and abstentions three."

The law, known as the Civil Union Act, was condemned by religious groups and traditional leaders and criticized by gay rights groups as insufficient.

It passed because the ruling African National Congress instructed its delegates to vote for it without exception.

A researcher at Johannesburg's Center for Applied Legal Studies, Beth Goldblatt, says nevertheless the law represents an important step for civil rights in South Africa.

"I am pleased that there is finally legislation which permits same-sex couples to marry, but I have some concerns that this legislation is inadequate, poorly drafted and not quite what would have been the ideal solution," she said.

South Africa's Constitutional Court one year ago decided that the existing marriage law was unconstitutional because it discriminated against same-sex couples. It ordered the government to provide new marriage legislation by December 1.

Goldblatt says the simplest solution would have been to amend the marriage act to allow same-sex marriages. But she says the parliament has created a new institution.

She says the legislation provides the same protections as the marriage law, but that it is a separate, parallel law.

"So although there is no actual difference in the consequences of the law it still seems to be saying that if you are a same-sex couple you cannot use the marriage act that is provided for heterosexual couples and that seems to offend the same-sex couples' dignity," she said.

As a result, Goldblatt predicts that gay rights groups will challenge the constitutionality of the Civil Union Act.

The new law also includes a provision that allows marriage officials to refuse to carry out the ceremony on religious or personal grounds.

Gay rights activists say this measure discriminates against them and is therefore unconstitutional.

Religious groups and traditional leaders have proposed amending the South African constitution to forbid same-sex marriages.

But many believe this will be difficult to carry out because of widespread support for individual freedoms in a country where the memories of the apartheid era are still fresh.

I had a early morning listen and picked up Radio Australia for the first time ever.

Interesting reports about how Aussies are fighting AIDS through syringe distribution. Also a nice segment on surf safety while at the beach, because summer is on its way for Australia.