WRTH has announced that their 2013 edition is now available online. Every year, I look forward to searching a new WRTH’s pages for the first time. What is the WRTH (World Radio and TV Handbook)? Click here to read my reviews of the 2010, 2011 and 2012 editions of WRTH. In the 2010 edition, I even include an interview with the publisher, Nicholas Hardyman.
To order your copy of WRTH 2013, go to this page on WRTH’s website.
The Worldwide Listening Guide by John Figliozzi
On the SWLing Post, I write an annual review of the World Radio TV Handbook–a fantastic and comprehensive frequency guide, with a focus on broadcasters and frequencies, though it certainly lacks the programming detail–i.e. content–I so enjoyed in the late Passport To World Band Radio.
That’s where John Figliozzi’s The Worldwide Listening Guide (WWLG) comes in–in short, I think you need a copy in your shack, not to mention, next to your computer.
The Worldwide Listening Guide is like no other frequency/schedule guide you’ll find on the market. First of all, it’s instantly apparent that the author, John Figliozzi, is a DXer, since the book has a spiral bind–which permits it to lie flat when open, and allows the pages to be folded back to take up less table space. A small detail, but important for those of us who want an easily accessible reference in the shack. Figliozzi, moreover, is a noted SWLer, a long-time active member of the North American Shortwave Association, co-host of the annual NASWA Winter SWL Fest in Plymouth Meeting, PA–and did I say, a great guy?
But back to the book: perhaps what makes the WWLG so unique is its comprehensive look at “radio” listening in general, guiding the reader through the many forms radio content now takes: live, on-demand, WiFi radio, podcasts, satellite, internet, AM/FM and, of course, shortwave radio. He explains the pros and cons of each delivery method and a little about its utility. I thought that I wouldn’t gain a lot from these beginning sections as I’m quite familiar with all of them, but was pleasantly surprised to find all sorts of interesting facts hidden within; no doubt you will, too. Figliozzi also spends a good deal of time time covering the various devices–such as WiFi radios, satellite radios, apps, shortwave radios, portables–that have become indispensable tools of the trade.
Program details like no other
My favorite part of WWLG, and the sections I turn to the most, are those covering programming and content. Figliozzi exhaustively curates more than 4,000 programs sorted by time of day, station, days of broadcast, program types, their frequencies and web addresses. He also sorts the listings by genre: from the arts, culture and history, to music, sports and more. In fact, he has a well-thought-out list of 34 genres that have helped me locate programming I would have otherwise have never known about. For example, SWLs will find his “Media and Communications” genre listing programming from Allan Weiner Worldwide, Glenn Hauser’s World of Radio and DXers Unlimited to Click and Tech Nation. Each listing tells you exactly when you can catch the program, and where.
What’s also great is the fact that if I find a program I like, I can cross-reference its offering on shortwave–and, if I miss that, I can look up where to find it on demand, on the internet.
A program guide with longevity
I have the 5th edition of The Worldwide Listening Guide–the latest. While I like to have an annual guide, I actually believe this guide will be valid for several years. True, some programming comes and goes–as we’ve seen shortwave stations leaving this year–but, Figliozzi also actively maintains a companion website, The Worldwide Listening Guide Online, which he keeps up-to-date with the latest changes; there is even a blog with his comments and news items. He tells you when to cross out and change listings in your WWLG as programming evolves.
In short, I like the WWLG and have decided that it will become a permanent reference book in my shack, along side my trusty WRTH. There is a surprising amount of information packed into this slim, spiral-bound book. Enough to keep even the seasoned DXer happy for years.
The Worldwide Listening guide can be purchased here:
The World Radio TV Handbook (WRTH) has updates their A12 International Radio Supplement as of July 13. The file is now available to download, free of charge, from the WRTH website. This is a comprehensive update and supplement to the printed 2012 WRTH.
Curtain antennas in operation at RCI Sackville
I was just informed by RCI Sackville that they plan to continue to broadcast their North Quebec service and various relays of other broadcasters until the end of October. Specifically:
Again, this schedule is subject to change and the October 31st date could be altered depending upon when VOV, NHK and KBS decide to either discontinue their relays or broadcast them from elsewhere. The implication is that the North Quebec service on 9,625 kHz will be removed, perhaps even without warning, as soon as the remaining three local FM relays are in service.
Since I’m travelling, I was very pleased to find that Glenn Hauser outlined the many special broadcasts and farewells over the next couple of weeks. Frankly, there are so many, I’ve had trouble keeping them organized in my calendar.
(Source: Glenn Hauser – DX Listening Digest, via SW Programs)
CALENDAR OF SW SPECIALS, FAREWELLS
Dates, days and times are strictly UT
MONDAY JUNE 18 +
This is the final week for Radio Canada International, probably also for CBC NQ 9625, and relays via Sackville. You may want to make an effort to listen more than usual before the Last Days scheduled below.
THURSDAY JUNE 21
2130-2145 British Antarctic Survey special, 9850 & 5950 Skelton UK, 7360 Ascension; or may be 2130-2200, and possibly on WED JUNE 20 instead
FRIDAY JUNE 22
2100 until 2100 SATURDAY JUNE 23 “MidsummerRadio”, special from Scandinavian Weekend Radio, Finland, low power on 25 and 49m; hard to hear beyond Europe
http://www.swradio.net/index2.htm
SATURDAY JUNE 23
1200-1214, final Vatican Radio English via Sackville: 13730
SUNDAY JUNE 24
0000-0059 Maple Leaf Mailbag, finale from RCI: 11700 via Kunming
1500-1559 Maple Leaf Mailbag, finale from RCI: 11675 via Kunming; 15125 via Urumqi, East Turkistan
1800-1859 Maple Leaf Mailbag, finale from RCI: 17810 Skelton UK (should be audible in NAm), 11765 Skelton, 9530 Kashi, East Turkistan
2000-2059 Maple Leaf Mailbag, finale2 from RCI Sackville: 17735, 15330, 15235
RCI Chinese, French, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese final broadcasts should also be June 24, ending at 2330* UT on 11990, 13760, 15455:
http://www.hfcc.org/data/schedbybrc.php?seas=A12&broadc=RCI
June 24 also appears to be the final day on air for Sackville relays of other stations. It is unclear whether all of these will be gone once the UT day June 25 starts, but assuming they are, listen UT June 24:
NHK World Radio Japan: English 0500-0530 on 6110, 1200-1230 on 6120; Japanese 0200-0500 5960; 1300-1500 11655
Vatican Radio: English 0250-0315, Spanish 0320-0400 both on 7305, 9610; Spanish 1130-1214 13730
Voice of Vietnam: English 0100-0130, 0230-0300, 0330-0400 on 6175
KBS World Radio, English: 0230-0300 9560, 1200-1300 9650; Spanish 0200-0230 9560, 0600-0700 6045; Korean 1400-1500 9650
China Radio International: who cares? Too many and plenty will be left from elsewhere
Radio República, 2300-0200 on 9490 [or only until 0000?]
1100-1127 Cartas @ RN, finale of mailbag show on RN Spanish 9895 & 6165-Bonaire
1130-1157 Cartas @ RN, finale of mailbag show on RN Spanish 6165- Bonaire
1200-1227 Cartas @ RN, finale of mailbag show on RN Spanish 9715 & 6165-BonaireMONDAY JUNE 25
0000-0057 Cartas @ RN, finale of mailbag show on RN Spanish 6165- Bonaire
0100-0157 Cartas @ RN, finale of mailbag show on RN Spanish 6165- Bonaire
0830-0900 Fiji Democracy & Freedom Movement, 11565 via WHRI, weeklyThis is the final week for Radio Netherlands. You may want to make an effort to listen before the Last Show special scheduled below
FRIDAY JUNE 29
0200-0400 PCJ Radio Special farewell to RNW, on WRMI 9955
For more details visit http://www.pcjmedia.com
A bit cheeky to schedule this at the same time as RN`s own Last Show!
0159-0257 RNW`s Last Show special to ENAm, 6165-Bonaire [not 11640]
0259-0357 RNW`s Last Show special to CNAm, 6165-Bonaire
0459-0557 RNW`s Last Show special to WNAm, 6165-Bonaire; NZ/SEAu 12015-BonaireIn case there are any further changes from the `final` schedule:
http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/were-changing
Will Tom Meyer appear on this one? He does in Spanish:
1000-1057, RNW farewell broadcast in Indonesian: 17840 & 21485 Madagascar, 15300 & 15565 Sri Lanka; maybe also at 1100, 2100 [or June 28]
1330-1430 RNW Spanish farewell program with live video stream, including interview with Tom Meyer; repeated on SW the following evening on usual frequencies; see SAT
1400-1457 RNW`s Last Show special to Asia, 9800-Sri Lanka
1800-1957 RNW`s Last Show special to Africa, 17605-Vatican [audible in NAm]1859-2057 RNW`s Last Show Special to Eu 6065
1900-2057 RNW`s Last Show Special to Af 7425-Madagascar
1900-2057 RNW`s Last Show Special to Af 11615-France
1900-2057 RNW`s Last Show Special to Af 15495-Vatican [maybe audible in NAm]. 2057 UT is really The End, for EnglishSATURDAY JUNE 30
0000-0057 & 0100-0157, RNW Spanish Farewell program [that`s what they say, unlike English which will end the previous night. Also check UT Friday June 29 in case that is correct date for Spanish too], 6165- Bonaire. See
http://www.rnw.nl/espanol/radioshow/cartasrn-en-v%C3%ADsperas-del- %C3%BAltimo-programa
VATICAN RADIO is also canceling most of its SW and MW broadcasts to Europe, and SW to Americas as of July 1. Presumably many of them will last be aired on June 30, altho the Sackville relays may have ended a week earlier. See
http://www.hfcc.org/data/schedbybrc.php?seas=A12&broadc=VAT
Many of the SMG transmissions to elsewhere are audible in NAm; also via Madagascar; and especially BONAIRE: 0030-0200 15470 in Portuguese, Spanish; 0230-0250 6040, 9610 in French. Since these are after 0000 UT, will their last day be UT June 30 or July 1?
2359-2400, LEAP SECOND, the 61-second minute on WWV, WWVH and all the world`s timesignal stations
http://hpiers.obspm.fr/iers/bul/bulc/bulletinc.dat
FRIDAY JULY 6
2100 until 2100 UT July 7, Scandinavian Weekend Radio monthly broadcast expected, not confirmed; see June 22
THURSDAY JULY 12-SUNDAY JULY 15
R. Hami, Finland, low-power special on 6170, 1584, 94.7. Details:
FRIDAY JULY 13
BBC Radio 3 Prom Concert season starts, until September 8
This calendar will be updated and reissued as needed
Latest edition: http://www.w4uvh.net/calendar.html
(Glenn Hauser, 1640 UT June 18, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
I will try to record some of these, but would love your recordings if you catch them.
The World Radio TV Handbook (WRTH) A12 schedules updates file is now available to download, free of charge, from the WRTH website. This is a comprehensive update and supplement to the printed 2012 WRTH.
(Source: Sean Gilbert, WRTH)
The WRTH Editorial team is pleased to announce that the Summer/’A’ season broadcasting schedules file is now available to download, free of charge, from the WRTH website – click on http://www.wrth.com/ and follow the link “Latest PDF Updates”.
The file is in PDF format (you will require the free Adobe Acrobat reader to open this file. If you do not have the Acrobat reader, please visit http://www.abobe.com/ to download and install it). The 86 page file is approximately 4500kB in size and contains the following information:
Summer / ‘A’ Season broadcasting schedules for over 200 international and Clandestine/Target stations;
Frequency listing of the above stations to facilitate band scanning;
Broadcasts in English, French, German, Portuguese and Spanish;
International DRM broadcasts.
Please feel free to pass this information on so that we may reach as many SWL’s, DX-er’s and professionals as possible.
For contact details, transmitter sites and much more, please refer to the printed WRTH, which is available to order from the website.
We hope you find this a useful accompaniment to the printed WRTH.
On behalf of the publisher and editorial team at WRTH, happy listening!
73,
Sean D. Gilbert,
International Editor – WRTH (World Radio TV Handbook)
(Source: DX-Antwerp)
The Belgian club, DX-Antwerp, is celebrating its 30th anniversary on May 12th. They’re airing a commemorative shortwave broadcast on the following schedule:
A special QSL card was designed for this occasion. Send a report by
ordinary mail to:
DXA QSL
c/o TDP Radio
PO Box 1
B-2310 Rijkevorsel
Belgium
or e-mail to [email protected].