After two days firefighters have control of the fire that destroyed most of Moscow's famous Ostankino TV tower.
The fire broke out at 1120 UTC on Sunday, August 27, and at one point spread down to about 100 metres (330ft) above the tower's base.
The blaze is thought to have been caused by an electrical short circuit.
Fears remain that the building could collapse, or might have to be pulled down.
TV stations went off air one by one after the fire broke out, leaving homes without cable TV with blank screens. State broadcasters RTR and ORT and the main independent station, NTV, resumed broadcasting to most regions by satellite soon afterwards, but Moscow screens remained blank, apart from cable subscribers.
The Ostankino tower was completed in 1967 and was the world's highest tower until Toronto's CN Tower was constructed. (hcdx news desk, August 28, 2000)

QSL from Radio Costena Ebenezer
Quite surprisingly, I today got an email QSL from the notorius”all black” Radio Costena Ebenezer on a report of reception dating back to May 1999.
I´d say that the qsl-text is a little uncommon, but still, Ivan Franco states, in a way, that I´ve listened to their program.
Here is the email in whole:
”From: Ivan Franco <casasps@yahoo.com>
To: jan.edh@ht.se
Saludos Sr. Jan Edh
Ha sido muy agradable para nosotros escuchar noticias suyas, agradecemos al Señor TODOPODEROSO por permitirnos tener una radio y que esas ondas viejen a la distancia y lleguen hasta su pais Suecia.
Agradecemos su amabilidad de enviarnos su e-mail reportandonos la sintonia de la Radio, nosotros somos una radio Cristiana, llamados a cumplir lo que la palabra de Dios dice "ID POR TODO EL MUNDO LLEVANDO Y PREDICANDO EL EVANGELIO A TODA CRIATURA" rogamos al Señor Jesucristo que bendiga su vida y la de su familia y que su hermosa paz que sobrepasa todo entendimiento repose sobre usted.
Dios Le bendiga
Atte. Radio La Costeña
Ebenezer 1220
Iglesia de Cristo Ebenezer
Internet: www.ebenezer.hn
(Jan Edh, hcdx list, August 23, 2000)



AFRTS back on shortwave

More on AFRTS

Radio Comas, Peru, new on 4881v kHz
Argentinian DXer Nicolas Eramo reports that the Peruvian station on 4881.2 kHz is Radio Comas, transmitting from Comas, Peru.
Eramo reports a clear ID in a reception on August 21 in his HCDX message:
Radio Comas, Comas, 0329 -0455#, Aug 21, Spanish, musical program with cumbias and salsa.
ID "Radio Comas" "Radio Comas 1300 kiloherz Amplitud Modula 4880 nueva senal en Onda Corta a todos los oyentes del interior que nos escriban informandonos comos nos reciben escribanos a Av. Estados Unidos 327 Urbanizacion........recibiran un recuerdo de la emisora ..."
The s/off of Radio Comas Television was at 0455 with announce of address and then National Anthem. (Nicolas Eramo, to HCDX, August 21, 2000)



New Peruvian on 4880.8 kHz
A still unidentified LA station has been heard on 4880.83; first observed at 1121-1150 poor signal on August 19, thanks to a phone tip from Sr. Sejimo, a member of RNM.
The early morning px was composed of several typical Peruvian folklore, and OM talk.
At 1127 a canned ID was given, however, I could copy a couple of words due to weak signal: "Estación ... mil trescientos ... amplitud modulada y cuatro mil ochocientos ochenta en onda corta banda de 60 metros .... desde la Provincia de ... Peru"

On August 20, the station began the morning transmission at 0959 with folklore, but no ID was given at s/on.

As far as I know, Radio Nuevo Mundo de Pucallpa was formerly heard several years ago around this channel.
Radio Nuevo Mundo, which had been authorized to operate on the nominal frequency of 4880 kHz with callsign OAZ8H, was heard in the frequency range between 4881.5 kHz and 4881.7 kHz. So, this unidentified outlet is out of the Radio Nuevo Mundo's frequency range.
According to an official frequency list of OA stations, issued in 1999, no shortwave outlet is assigned on 4880 kHz, and Radio Nuevo Mundo already cancelled its shortwave license.
More work needed on this outlet. (Takayuki Inoue Nozaki, Relámpago DX via hcx list, August 20, 2000)



AWR expanding in Italy
On August 17, Adventist World Radio held the ground breaking ceremony at its new short wave site near Argenta.
Together with its Pacific counterpart KSDA Guam the station is planned to mainly serve the "10/40-window" between 10 and 40° north where Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism are the dominant religions.
Adventist World Radio wants to add 15 new languages to be broadcast from Argenta: Azeri, Bhojpuri, Bundeli, Berber, Chattisgarhi, Dar, Fulani, Gujarati, Ibo, Kurdish, Kashmiri, Pashtu, Sindhi and Tibetan.
It is also thought that maintaining an AWR owned station will give Adventist World Radio more flexibility in scheduling.
Since 1971, AWR has mainly used leased facilities in Europe for broadcasting to Europe, Africa and Asia. (Hansjörg Biener on hcdx list, August 19, 2000)

More on AWR Argenta web site

Polish medium wave bonanza
Poland will soon become a new DX target for medium wave DXers. A major project aims to use medium wave transmitters for local radio programming to many communities.
The organization Polskie Fale Srednie ("Polish Medium Wave") is to install 100 watt medium wave transmitters around the country. So far 50 sites have been targeted, with 8 to start in September.
Frequencies will be, among others, 531, 963, 1062, 1485 och 1602 kHz.
Every transmitter is to have a local studio, from which two hours of local programming is to be broadcast under the name "Twoje Radio" ("Your Radio"). Daily local transmissions is scheduled for 0630-0730 and 1630-1730 UTC. The stations will at other times relay regional programming from Polskie Radio. (Bernd Trutenau, Lithuania, August 2, 2000, via SweDX list)



New Europeans on medium wave
Finnish DXer Per-Ole Stenman has observed these new European radio stations on medium wave:
1269 Yugoslavia, August 11, in parallell with 684 Beograd 1. Signal quite good with normally bad "YU-modulation". Could not here them the next evening.
1395 Radio Vacantsa, Romania, August 11, seems to be on a new frequency. In parallell with Radio Cluj (noted the same px on 909 kHz), Radio Craiova and Radio Antena Bucuresti.
1584 Radio Popular Iasi, August 11, with very good signal covering completely all the other Popular stations here, clearly overmodulated and tendencies to the same bad sound as Hungary-1602. Local ID at 1757 and ending their local program for the day at 1800 UTC. (Per-Ole Stenman, Finland, hcdx list, August 17, 2000)



KNOM to test more night power
Alaska station KNOM will test increased nighttime power on its clear channel 780 AM, after the FCC okays the experiment, after the station received permission from an Alaskan station on an adajcent frequency, 650 miles away. Consulting engineer Jack Mullaney and broadcaster Augie Hiebert, are helping to coordinate the experiment.
KNOM is authorized with 25,000 watts daytime and 14,000 watts night. During the spring and summer, the station experiences up to 20 hours of daylight at its high latitude, but in winter as much as 20 hours of darkness.
With the increase of static, electrical noise, and interference, the station does not get out as much as previously did. Tom Busch is general manager (busch@knom.org). Data: KNOM, P.O. Box 988, Nome, AK 99762. Phone: (907) 443-5221.
(Catholic Radio Update 74, July 29, 2000)



Radio Perú on 5637v kHz
Radio Perú, 5637.21, heard 0100-0156 on August 6 with lively OA campo music. Announcements by familiar sounding man with many many mentions of Peru, and Ancash, Pasco, internacional, Santa Rosa, and Cusco. TCs. Mention of kilohertz at 0124. What sounded very much like an ID at 0133. Presumed canned program feature at 0144 with many mentions of San Ignacio, possibly called "?? Informa Perú". Gave a phone number too. Went off sometime around 0200 in mid-song. Fair. On later than usual or reactivated? (Dave Valko, August 6, hcdx list)