Welcome to the DX Extra the extra thing you need to digest your shortwave news – it’s show number 5. Hope you are all doing well. I’m Robb Wise from Hobart Radio International with you in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. It's 20 years since the first military coup in Fiji. What does contemporary radio in this Pacific nation sound like in 2008? There are two main players [state owned Radio Fiji and private Communications Fiji Ltd] both operating a series of national networks from Suva studios, and a small handful of independent stations, nearly all located in Suva as well. Community radio stations in this country of 850,000 people don't exist, and is this a consequence of military rule and fear of grassroots media? In the Solomon Islands, itself suffering civil tension, eight small villages on Isabel Province have been broadcasting their own local community programs five hours daily from 'radio in a suitcase' systems. Well supported by local villagers, these new community radio stations offer a glimpse of a successful future for low tech, low cost and low environmental impact FM radio across the Pacific. A similar system operates on crisis torn Nauru, successfully introduced by the University of the South Pacific and broadcasting as Triple Nine FM. Listen to Mailbox on RNZI on Monday May 12 as David Ricquish of the Radio Heritage Foundation explores some of the issues, and plays audio clips from four Fijian FM stations recently recorded in Suva. Visit www.rnzi.com for shortwave frequencies and times, and to download an audio on demand version of the program that will remain available on line for four weeks from May 12. From the HCDX digest. (Author unkown.) WRTH Publications are pleased to announce that a file containing the Summer (A08) schedules for International and Clandestine/Target Broadcasters is now available for download from the WRTH website http://www.wrth.com . The pdf file runs to 104 pages and is 377kB. Included in the file are not only the broadcast schedules for 236 stations but also frequency listings and our broadcasts in "English, French, German, Portuguese and Spanish" section, both of which are derived from the schedules. We hope you find this file a useful accompaniment to the printed WRTH. Should there be any problems with downloading the file, please contact sean gilbert@wrth.com. Regards WRTH Editorial Team. From the shortwave digest. Kang Guru Radio English program on 9680, via RRI Jakarta. Sue Rodger of KGRE has been informed by RRI Jakarta that they have a new schedule: 0800-0820 UT on Wed. and Fri. (ex: 1000-1020 UT on Wed.and Sun.), which would explain why I have not heard them on their former schedule for almost two months now. Within the past hour Kevin has updated their website with the new schedule www.kangguru.org/broadcastschedule.html . This change is an unfortunate development for me, as I had enjoyed their entertaining programming for some years now, but think the new time is too early for reception in Monterey, whereas the former time of 1000 was close to perfect for me. Jakarta sunset will not be till about 1045 UT. The only other alternative is to attempt to hear another RRI station that carries KGRE programs, but that would be a real challenge (Ron Howard-CA, April 29) From the Shortwave Central blog. [http://mt-shortwave.blogspot.com/] Today on RTI's English service it was announced that RTI upper management is thinking about closing English language SHORTWAVE transmissions to North America. Frequencies affected are 9680 & 5950kHz in what I presume to be the 02-04UT & 07-08UT broadcasts, both from WYFR facilities. This is a proposal only. If listeners to these services wish for RTI to retain these shortwave services they should contact RTI by email. The email to write to can be found on the RTI English Internet Streaming Tuesday broadcast. At exactly 26 minutes & 45 seconds into the feature streaming program the email address is provided. {It's on the we've got mail program). RTI is wondering if it's North American listeners would prefer to listen via the Internet. The contact person is Paula. Here in Australia, it's the 0700UT broadcast to Nth America that provides the best shortwave reception, so I'm very much in favour of retaining the shortwave service to North America. E-mail RTI today if you wish to retain this service. Regards Ian Baxter via the DXLD digest. The email address is paula@rti.org.tw We’ll be back in a sec, today we have a look at music from Village Stompers – Turkish Delight [Podcast ad] Senator Tom Coburn, an Oklahoma Republican and a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, has called for more oversight over the VOA Persian Service which, he said, has delivered broadcasts that have been slanted in favour of the Iranian government. He said the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees US government international broadcasting, is not aware of the contents of the programmes because no one on the board speaks Farsi. Jeffrey Feltman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, says Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has been in contact with officials of the Broadcasting Board about the matter. VOA management has defended the Persian broadcasts as balanced, accurate and objective, and says the radio and television programmes give equal airing of opposing views. Senator Coburn called on the State Department to provide Congress with translations of the Persian Service broadcasts. (Source: VOA News) From RNW Media Network Blog. As a result of the test transmissions on 5905 kHz this week, Deutsche Welle is changing its schedule in German to Australia/NZ via Bonaire at 0800-1000 UTC as from Saturday 26 April to: 0800-0900 UTC: 9855 kHz (230°) 0900-1000 UTC: 5905 kHz (210°) (Source: R Netherlands Media Network Weblog) Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 23 April - 19 May 2008 Solar activity is expected to be very low. No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to reach high levels during 25 April - 13 May. Geomagnetic field activity is expected to be at active levels during 23 - 24 April due to a recurrent coronal hole high-speed stream. Activity is expected to decrease to unsettled levels during 25 April as the high-speed stream subsides. Quiet conditions are forecast during 24 - 30 April. Activity is expected to increase to unsettled to active levels during 01 - 05 May with minor storm levels likely on 02 May as another recurrent coronal hole high-speed stream affects the field. Activity is expected to decrease to quiet to unsettled levels during 06 - 07 May as the high-speed stream subsides. Mostly quiet conditions are expected during 08 - 18 May. Activity is expected to increase to unsettled levels on 19 May. From: NOAA. And if this news was not enough, we recommend The World of Radio by Glen Hauser, the website www dot world of radio dot com and also Dxing With Cumbre, www dot cumbredx dot org and cumbre is spelt c-u-m-b-r-e DX Extra is being relayed by Spider Radio Greece, Sundays on 6925USB and World FM 88.5FM in Tawa, Wellington New Zealand. Worldfm dot co dot nz – and the details are on the website Kia Ora everyone! Until next time remember shortwave radio is still full of mysteries – keep tuning and keep reporting. Take care and stay safe.