ANGUILLA
Here's why the Caribbean Beacon is seldom heard any more on 1610 kHz. A visitor to the island heard them announcing that power is at most 9 kW. This is not even enough to reach the other end of the island at night with a clear signal where skywave interferes with groundwave (Glenn Hauser, World of Radio 949)

ARGENTINA
Argentina's Radio Esmeralda (reported simulcasting Cardinal-FM 100.3, Gonzalves) is found on 1620 kHz. First reported in late December with gospel music. Note that WPGH also carries gospel on this frequency.

AUSTRALIA
Chris Hambly from Melbourne reports that 3BA Ballarat on 1314 kHz has a test loop on and announcing that listeners should retune to 102.3 FM. So that will be the end of the 3BA soon. Get while you can! (IRCA's AM-DX Newsflash, June 25, 1998)

CANADA
CJBZ going all-sports
CJBZ, Ottawa, Ontario, on 1200 kHz, "The Buzz," will soon become Ottawa's first all-sports station. The struggling station has tried numerous tricks in the last ten years, including calling itself "new" from 1989 through 1997, during its "Energy-1200" incarnation.

CJTT has moved to FM
Lee Traynor reports that CJTT, New Liskeard, Ontario, on 1230 kHz moved to FM 104.5 MHz as of June 26. He reports e-mail from the station indicating that the AM transmitter "has been shutdown and put into storage". (DX-midAMerica, July 27)

CKGM is back
CKGM, Montreal, Quebec, on 990 kHz, is back on the air with a fully-automated oldies format. The station is now billing itself as "Oldies Nine-Ninety" and was celebrating its return to the air by playing 10,000 oldies in a row, commercial-free, with only breaks for station IDs, time checks, etc.

CKLY has moved to FM
CKLY, Lindsay, Ontario, on 910 kHz, is no more. The station began FM operations in early May and apparently left the AM band at the end of the month. (Mizar's Mediumwave News)

CHILE
La Voz Cristiana is now announcing four frequencies simultaneously, and I can confirm three of them. At about 1540 this morning, they announced 21550, 21500, 17680 and 9635 kHz. 21550 and 21500 are both heard well, though 21550 has the stronger signal. 17680 is fairly strong, but it has a nasty buzz, reminiscent of some of the old R. Moscow transmitters. Nothing heard on 9635, though it is reasonable to think that that transmitter may be on the air, and not propagating from Chile. (Tim Hendel, Review of International Broadcasting, July 13)

MAURITIUS
MBC was broadcasting on short-wave frequencies 4850 and 9710 kHz, using 10 kW Philips transmitters with delta stub-matched antenna system. It was on the air for around 18 hours re-broadcasting MBC AM Radio 1, beaming mainly towards Rodrigues Island, 360 km away from the east coast of Mauritius as well as other outer islands. Due to the unavailability of spare parts and the risk hazards of the old and obsolete Philips transmitters, the service has been shut down since long. Rodrigues has now its own AM radio broadcasting station.

NEW ZEALAND
The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs has approved cutbacks in Radio New Zealand International's programme and broadcasting output. Daily broadcasting to the South Pacific will be reduced from eleven to five hours. All Pacific Island indigenous languages will be cut The station's personnel have also been cut by a quarter to staff of nine. These changes take effect on August 3. (Adrian Sainsbury, RNZI, July 16, via EDXP95)

PERU
Radio Regional new on 5500.6 kHz
The new Peruvian station Radio Regional has been observed by Colombian DXer Rafael Rodriguez on 5500.6 kHz. The station was first logged on July 18 at 2340-0030.

Radio Lajas moved to 5558.5 kHz
Radio Lajas in Cajamarca, Peru, has been logged on the new frequency 5558.5 kHz. The station was earlier logged on 5498 kHz, but did wander off to 5414 kHz earlier this year.

USA
KCNZ to start on 1650 kHz
Greg Alan, program director of station KCNZ, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, says they are planning to begin operations on 1650 kHz on September 1. However, in Alan's words, "that may change by a day, a week, or (horrors) a month." They have applied for the call letters KDNZ and plan to broadcast in AM stereo. (DXing.com, July 98)

KOTK has new address
KOTK, on 1080 kHz, has this new address: 2000 SW Eirst - according to verie letter received in 245 days from Bruce Agler-PD, along with Dr. Toni Grant Button. (Pat Martin in IRCA's AM-DX Newsflash, June 25, 1998)

WBAH with multilanguage format?
Radio Unica, New York, ahs been logged on 1660 kHz "Radio Unica en New York. La cadena Unica del Mundial. Nueva, completamente nueva, 16-60 en el dial. Unicamente Unica".
The program I'm logging now comes from a studio in Los Angeles. Also in Spanish with match coverage two days ago, when I arrived here. Carries also adv in English for children funds and other community program. Same station? Multiformat? No call letters ID or location given, so far. (Bill Harms, July 7, hard-core-dx list)

WCMQ finally QSL'ing
WCMQ, Coral Gables, FL, on 1700 kHz, sent form letter apologizing for long delay in answering DXers reports and a full-data Bill Plum-style "pfc/ppc" preprinted QSL card (which I didn't send to them, must be using them as interim QSLs) from v/s Ralph Chambers, Director of Engineering. In 230 days for taped report & 32c stamp. Address: 1001 Ponce de Leon Blvd, Coral Gables FL 33134. (Randy Stewart in IRCA's AM-DX Newsflash, June 25, 1998)

WKSH on the air
WKSH, Sussex, Wisconsin, on 1640 kHz, (situated not far from Milwaukee), signed on July 6. The format is Contemporary Christian. At the same time, their 1370 operation permanently signed off. (Mizar's Mediumwave News, July 6)

WMDM surprise on 1690
WMDM, Lexington Park, MD, on 1690 kHz, suddenly went on the air in early July. Logged July 3 with ID as "Bay Talk 16-90, WMDM, Lexington Park." The station obviously is running a talk format. When logged at 0630, the station ran an ad for a car dealership in the (301) area code, a double station ID, then into "The Absolute Best of Art Bell." There are some reports that this station is relaying WPTX-920.

WTDY active on 1670 kHz
WTDY, Madison, Wisconsin, on 1670 kHz, is being heard well. The station has been relaying talk from WTDA-1480 (formerly WTDY). The station signed on during the day on June 29. (Mizar's Mediumwave News)

WWJ soon blasting 50 kW due north
Construction has begun on the 950-WWJ site near Newport, in Monroe County, MI. 50 KW out of six towers will be shot due North at night. (Grant-MI, on DX-midAmerica, Aug 2)

A view on the Expanded AM Band
In the past month, X-band stations in America's two largest population centers have abruptly switched formats in an attempt to boost ratings. WJDM, Elizabeth, New Jersey, on 1660 was the first X-band station to begin regular operations. Despite being across the Hudsom from New York, WJDM was unable to make a dent in the ratings with its original "all kids" programming and later rock format. It's now using the call WBAH with all-Spanish programming.

ZANZIBAR
German DXer Martin Schoech received a QSL-letter from Voice of Tanzania Zanzibar in which they appealed the DX-comunity to do some printing of QSL-cards. Belgian DXer Guido Schotmans accepted the challenge, and sat down in front of his computer to design a special Zanzibar QSL card.

SUDAN
Radio Voice of Freedom and Renewal, Voice of the People's Armed Uprising, Voice of the Sudanese Armed Struggle, Voice of the Sudan Alliance Forces Organization: Sudan Alliance Forces Languages: Arabic ID: Sawt Nedal al-Shab al-Sudany al-Mosalah. Transmits on 6999.9 kHz. Logged between 1545-1703*.

INTERNET
Bill's Ultimate TIS Digest
There are many mediumwave DXers who are interested in logging the numerous low power TIS (Travel information Service) and HAR (Highway Advisory Radio) stations that are found throughout the USA and Canada. Bill Harms has produced an important web-based HAR/TIS resource. See http://www.erols.com/wharms/tis/

Funkenhauser's WHAMLOG and Mediumwave DX Links
You'll find a huge collection of current mediumwave information, hot tips, links to hot tips, lists, antenna construction articles, antenna reviews, receiver reviews, and much more. Recommended. See http://home.inforamp.net/~funk/

LA Eldorado moved to Nordic Shortwave Center
With more than 600 hot verie-signers for Central and Latin America, info on many radio stations' birthdays and lots of modern email addresses, the "Eldorado for LA Dxers" must surely be that; an Eldorado for all Latin aficionados. Check in at Nils Jakobsson's constantly updated web pages at http://www.nordicdx.com/laqsl/

hermod@sydsvenskan.se