shortwave summary, jun 2007 (part 1)

I have a set of Asia/Oceania receptions to share with you. These receptions were received by my Eton E5, coupled to a Degen DE31 active loop antenna.

Received stations:
* Radio Taiwan International
* Radio Australia
* Radio New Zealand International

* 11 Jun 2007, 0300 UTC, 5950 khz (Radio Taiwan International): "Radio Taiwan International... Taipei, Taiwan." Steve Chen, a YouTube cofounder and native Taiwanese, was recently at a Taipei conference. He was discussing YouTube's user-first philosophy. Hakka language and culture learning is on the rise in Taiwan. Heavy rain and storms were expected in Taiwan on Monday due to a low-pressure system. Taipei: 23-27C (73-80F).

Taiwan is a nation of animal lovers. "The pets you like die first, while the ugly ones go on and on." That show was "The Occidental Tourist." Now, week in review. Costa Rica switched diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China. Costa Rica's relations with Taiwan dated back to 1944. Taiwan will experience a 9% increase in the minimum wage, which now amounts to around US$520 per month. Taiwan is Vietnam's largest foreign investor. Reporter Eli Alberts gave the news roundup. Students are involved in a public speaking competition. They train to be able to discuss or debate a wide variety of topics.

* 17 Jun 2007, 0200 UTC, 9560 khz: I expected KBS (South Korea) in English on this frequency, but the broadcast I picked up was in a foreign language. I should have tried to pick up some context for identification.

* 19 Jun 2007, 0400 UTC, 15240 khz (Radio Australia): "This is Radio Australia news." There's concern in Washington D.C. over the political crisis in Pakistan (which wikipedia calls a "semi-presidential republic"). Pervez Musharraf is facing the biggest challenge to his power since becoming president. Australia's winter crop harvest this year should have twice the output of a year ago when droughts damaged crops. New South Wales residents were informed to prepare for a severe storm, with winds expected up to 125 km/hr (77 mi/hr). People were urged to stay indoors when the storm hit. Sydney will be hit tomorrow.

A Papua New Guinea candidate was accused of attempting to murder the deputy prime minister. There was a brief mention of an art and film festival, and a website address was given out (hross.org.au) but I have been unable to find the website. A hop-hop track called "Umbrella" was played, and the lyrics mentioned Little Miss Sunshine. A second music track was played, and although I didn't mention this in my notes, I think it was a rock song. At this point, the signal was very noisy, and the signal was cut off at 0414 UTC.

* 19 Jun 2007, 0427 UTC, 13730 khz (Radio New Zealand International): Drinking before going out - it's cheaper to drink at home. In New Zealand, a lot of intoxicated women are around. Police are reporting more violence caused by drunk women. Are these women students, or employed? Police are out picking up drunk girls while other crimes are happening.

Traffic reports -- this might be a first in my shortwave experiences. There was a bike-versus-car accident in Wellington. Traffic in Auckland is starting to get backed up. Weather: cloudy, inland frosts, some snow, coastal showers.

A restaurant won a ruling against a food critic that gave the restaurant a bad review. He labeled the food as unpalatable and the service as bad. Writers in the fashion industry receive a lot of freebies. Does that influence reviews? Air New Zealand will offer an option to purchase carbon credits with flight tickets. How much would it cost? How are the funds used? One person involved in this report advised against donating through a corporate structure, and recommended donating directly. Tourism is the single biggest industry in New Zealand.

"This is the Pacific service of Radio New Zealand International. We are now closing on this frequency." Radio New Zealand had a stronger, clearer signal than Radio Australia, and I'm glad I found it! That was a fun and informative broadcast, and it's unfortunate that I only caught about half an hour of it.