Season 2017/18: The Season So Far - Part 5

AND so, we have reached the final day of the calendar year 2017 and Reporting From The Fox Tower brings you the month-end roundup of football results, as we have now passed the halfway point of the football season. First to the Premier League, where things are looking good for the boys in blue:

The Premier League Table, 31 December 2017.

CARLISLE United Football Club have completed their December fixtures, so here are the results for The Season So Far - Part 5:

December 2017: Results

Saturday 2nd: FA Cup: Gillingham 1 - United 1

Saturday 9th: Sky Bet League Two: Newport County 3 - United 3

Saturday 16th: Sky Bet League Two: United 1 - Port Vale 2

Tuesday 19th: FA Cup: United 3 - Gillingham 1 [Rearranged fixture; United face Sheffield Wednesday in the third round of the FA Cup]

Saturday 23rd: Sky Bet League Two: Forest Green Rovers 0 - United 1

Tuesday 26th: Sky Bet League Two: United 3 - Accrington Stanley 1

Saturday 30th: Sky Bet League Two: United 0 - Coventry City 1

January 2018: Fixtures

Monday 1st: Sky Bet League Two: Mansfield Town v United (3pm)

[Saturday 6th: Sky Bet League Two: Barnet v United - Postponed]

Saturday 6th: FA Cup: United v Sheffield Wednesday (3pm)

Saturday 13th: Sky Bet League Two: United v Crewe Alexandra (3pm)

Saturday 20th: Sky Bet League Two: Stevenage v United (3pm)

Saturday 27th: Sky Bet League Two: United v Forest Green Rovers (3pm)

⚽

Thank you for visiting Reporting From The Fox Tower during 2017.

All that remains to say is...

Happy New Year!

RFTFT's Most Popular: Top 3 of 2017

REPORTING From The Fox Tower, on Christmas Eve Eve, welcomes you to an overview of 2017, bringing you the top three most viewed posts of the year, bringing you the most popular first.

Amy Willerton

Wallpaper of the Week, 23 July 2017

The most popular post of 2017 on Reporting From The Fox Tower was 'Wallpaper of the Week, 23 July 2017', posted on the above date and was a real mixed bag of items in one post. The post began with the Wallpaper image of Tailbridge Hill, Nateby. The image was captured 20 September 2016.

The post introduced Amy Willerton, pictured above, before closing with Chris Froome's 2017 Le Tour de France victory. The post had 144 views.

To the second most popular post:

Pulse 2 broadcasts on 1278 kHz in Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK.

Medium Wave, September 2017

 An evening listening to Medium Wave radio had the second highest number of views, with 138 recorded visits to the post. The broadcasts were logged on September 21, with the post dated September 24.

The third most popular post:

Caitlin

Sidney

Facing West: Facebook Live, 29 April 2017

Reporting From The Fox Tower was in experimental phase at points during the year, bringing you the Facebook Live video broadcast by Facing West, which was carried live on Facebook, Saturday 29 April. Facing West are a band consisting of sisters Caitlin (left) and Sidney (right) Powell.

The 'Facing West: Facebook Live' post has received 113 views since uploaded on Sunday, April 30.

Those were the three most popular posts of 2017.

The plan, at the moment, is a final post of the year on Saturday 30th, looking at Carlisle United Football Club's results in December, though I intend to spend some quality time with my radio, so there may be radio logs posted here.

Until the next time, may I wish you a Merry Christmas!

🎅 🎄

My DX Archive: Summer 1993

WELCOME to memories of July and August 1993, courtesy of Short Wave and Medium Wave radio logs of the time. Memories of June 1993 can be found here. The broadcasts included here were received on a Hitachi TRK-5854 E.
[Housekeeping notes: Times in UTC (GMT), frequencies in kiloHertz (kHz), MegaHertz (MHz) and/or metrebands (m). Logs transcribed from the original notes.]

July 1993

• 9 July [1993]: 1030 UTC: 9410 kHz: BBC World Service Rock Music with Tommy Vance: AC/DC "Money Talks", Faith No More "Epic", Deep Purple "Burn", Foreigner "Jukebox Hero", Metallica "Enter Sandman" and Bon Jovi "Livin On A Prayer".
• 14 July: 1745 UTC: 6195 kHz: BBC World Service Music: Tears For Fears "Break It Down Again". 'Sports Roundup': Des Walker returns to British Football, Cricket.
• 14 July: 1801 UTC: 7269? kHz: Radio Australia "International Report" Japanese elections, report from Tokyo. Japan's Prime Minister tours earthquake sites. To 1816 UTC.
• 14 July: 1828 UTC: 9730 kHz: Radio Finland "Compass North" Business news, heavy interference.
• 14 July: 1855 UTC: 9760 kHz: Voice of America Special English, 19 UTC news: Somalia, Pyongyang, Russia, Israel, Greece, USA, India. 1910 UTC: "Newsline" on VOA: Bosnia.
• 14 July: 1915 UTC: 9750 kHz: BBC World Service "Outlook" Interview with Eric Clapton. 1930 UTC: "Omnibus" British girls working in a French nightclub, featuring Kate Weston, who recently left school, becoming a topless cancan dancer. Kate Weston, giggles a lot, originates from Clacton*. To 1941 UTC.

• 14 July: 1945 UTC: 9760 kHz: Voice of America "Concert Hall". 20 UTC news.
• 14 July: 2003 UTC: 9820 - 9880 kHz: Radio Moscow "News And Views" Italy asked to withdraw its General from Mogadishu. Report of the Israeli Prime Minister. Economic reform in Russia. To 2020 UTC.
• 14 July: 2030 UTC: 9920 kHz: China Radio International Feature regarding Asthma, American Baritone to host a concert in China. "News & Current Affairs" 'Learn to speak Chinese' Lesson 15/16.
• 14 July: 2047 UTC: 9950 kHz: All India Radio 'Press Review' India launch a satellite from Russia, with the support of President Clinton & President Yeltzin. 'Light Music'. 21 UTC News: Ukrainian President meets India's Foreign Minister.
• 14 July: 2114 UTC: 11 MHz: Radio Moscow 'Focus On Asia & The Pacific' Korea will not allow inspectors in to Nuclear sites, China's Foreign Policy in review.
• 14 July: 2125 UTC: 12095 kHz: BBC World Service 'Newshour'.

• 14 July: 2218 UTC: 15330 kHz: Radio Bulgaria A Bulgarian Children's Choir tours Japan. 'Economy & Farming' at 2230 UTC.
• 15 July: 1210 UTC: 5955 kHz: Radio Netherlands 'Media Network' [Good to poor reception] Information of broadcasts from Eritrea received in Finland. New book regarding UK transmitting station Woofferton. Listeners discuss their receivers, Japanese listener discusses his Sony receiver. Mike Bird's propagation report.
• 16 July: 1618 UTC: 6175 kHz: Radio France Internationale News programme: Troops in Mogadishu (Somalia), The French mourn Jews killed in World War II. Success in a river blindness campaign in Africa.
• 18 July: 1151 UTC: 13730 kHz: Radio Austria International. [Strong to good reception] 'Austrian Coffeetable' Jazz Music on a Sunday lunchtime.

August 1993

• 8 August: 2030 UTC: 1179 kHz Medium Wave: Radio Sweden [Strong to good reception] 'In Touch With Stockholm' featuring Björn Ulvæus of ABBA, presenting 'ABBA Quiz Winners'. News headlines: Accident at an airshow. Alan Pryke introduces Bjorn, who discusses 'The Emigrants', 'Chiquitita', 'Does Your Mother Know', 'I Have A Dream', 'The Winner Takes It All'. 1st Prize: ABBA 'Gold' CD, Amnesty CD & Radio Sweden T-Shirt. Letter from Merseyside, England. Discussion of Swedish musicians Roxette, Ace of Base, Dr Alban. Letter from Cambridge, England featuring British newspapers 'News of the World' and 'Sunday Mirror'. Telephone call: Fred from New York. Letter from Northern Ireland, telephone call from Scotland.
• 12 August: 1145 UTC: 5955 kHz: Radio Netherlands 'Media Network': WSHB, WCSN, KHBI, Forces Radio in Russia, earthquake in New Zealand. IRRS transmitter struck by lightning! CRI change frequency. WWCR, St Helena, Transworld, Luxembourg, Freisland. Mike Bird's propagation report. News at 1230 UTC.

The 'Brussels Calling' team.

• 31 August: 2119 UTC: 1512 kHz Medium Wave: B R T Brussels [Strong to good reception] Music, 'P O Box 26' the letters programme of 'Brussels Calling'.

That concludes the Summer 1993 logs.

As we are now at mid December, I plan to post over the festive - New Year 2018 period, taking a look at Reporting From The Fox Tower's most popular posts of 2017 and rounding up Carlisle United Football Club's results for the month of December. At this point, may I hope your festive plans are going well.

🎄 📻

* I SO wanted to meet her at the time...

My DX Archive: June 1993.

JOIN me on another journey down memory lane, to my notes of radio broadcasts received June 1993. Click here for an extensive post of logs from Spring (March - April - May) 1993.
The broadcasts included here were received on a Hitachi TRK-5854 E, tuning the Short Wave bands.
[Housekeeping notes: Times in UTC (GMT), frequencies in kiloHertz (kHz), MegaHertz (MHz) and/or metrebands (m). Logs transcribed from the original notes.]

June 1993

• 5 June [1993]: 2148 UTC: 17790 kHz: HCJB Quito, Ecuador. Good reception. 'Musical Mailbag' Letter and reception report from England. Laurie from Canada writes.
• 14 June: 1730 UTC: 6065 + 9645 kHz: Radio Sweden Interference. News: Mogadishu, Olaf Palmer killed 1986, Swedish unemployment. '60° Degrees North': UN conference. Sport: Interview with football managers.
• 15 June: 1754 UTC: 6040 kHz: Voice of America 'Request Line' Music, Eddie Murphy fan club address. News: President Clinton talks about Somalia. Italy talks about Mogadishu. Azerbaijan. Bosnian ceasefire.
• 15 June: 1843 UTC: 9730 kHz: Radio Finland 'Compass North', 'Faith in Finland', summer religious festivals, Catholics pilgrim in Finland.
• 15 June: 1903 UTC: 9760 kHz: Voice of America News headlines: Dalai Llama, Azerbaijan, ballots in Malawi, India launches offensive against Kashmir. 'Newsline' on VOA.
• 15 June: 1917 UTC: 11630 / 11760 kHz: Radio Moscow 'Commonwealth Update', Estonia. CIS economies and currencies. News in Brief, followed by details of music by Mario Lanza.

• 15 June: 1958 UTC: 12095 kHz: BBC World Service 'Development 93', news: United Nations conference to press for action in Bosnia, conference takes place in Vienna, Austria.
• 15 June: 2024 UTC: 13635 kHz: Swiss Radio International 'Dateline' Address: Swiss Radio International, English, 3000 BERNE 15, Switzerland. Racism in Germany and Switzerland. Via Gabon transmitter relay site.
• 15 June: 2054 UTC: 15665 kHz: Monitor Radio via WCSN. Book review: 'Mad Monks on the Road'. World news with an American angle: President Clinton reviews the situation in Somalia. Wall Street. Heavy shelling in Sarajevo. NASA.
• 15 June: 2118 UTC: 15590 kHz: BBC World Service MP interviewed regarding Azerbaijan.
• 15 June: 2131 UTC: 17790 kHz: HCJB 'Mountain Meditation' Quotes from Corinthians, New Testament. 'Glorious Intentions'.
• 23 June: 1179 kHz Medium Wave: Radio Sweden 'Sixty Degrees North': 'Money Matters': Euro - US Free Trade talks. Station announcement: Radio Sweden regrets their French and Spanish services are to end soon.

Until the next time, Happy Listening!

📻

DX Notes, October - November 2017

WELCOME to my radio listening logs for October - November 2017, covering Short Wave and Medium Wave. All broadcasts were received on the Roberts R881.

[Housekeeping notes: Times in UTC (GMT), frequencies in kiloHertz (kHz), transmission powers in watts and kiloWatts (kW)]

Short Wave : Friday 20 October 2017

• 20 October: 1925 UTC: 9730 kHz: The Short Wave Band is very noisy these days. I believe I hear China Radio International in Spanish / Portuguese language, spoken at length by a male, with music in the background - Not sure if the music is the same broadcast. China Radio International in Portuguese via Kashi-Saibagh, 500 kW, though Voice of Vietnam is also on air on this frequency: English language to 1930 UTC; French from 1930 UTC via Hanoi-Santay, 100 kW. Moderate reception of this frequency; To 1930 UTC.
• 20 October: 1935 UTC: 9810 kHz: IRIB Voice of Islamic Republic of Iran. Moderate reception, 500 kW via Sirjan, Iran. Male speech in English! The male speaks of the Russian Foreign Minister, who says Washington DC should withdraw the US nuclear weapons. Russia hopes to speak to Pyongyang. English language to Europe and Africa. News from Madrid. News from Istanbul, an explosion. News of the Russian Foreign Ministry and the International Atomic Agency. IDs, times and frequencies, contact details. Music. To 1952 UTC.
• 20 October: 2041 UTC: 11580 kHz: WRMI Radio Miami International, USA. Moderate reception, 100 kW via Okeechobee FL USA. Deep, male voice in American English; English to Europe and Americas. To 2049 UTC.

Sunday 5 November 2017

5 November: 1820 UTC: 5935 kHz: Radio Romania International. Strong reception, 300 kW via Tiganesti, Saftica, Romania. Listener's Day broadcast: Richard Cole, Pennsylvania, USA, points to Donald Trump as a source of fake news, as does a listener in Alabama, USA. Listener in Nevada USA shares their views on Donald Trump. Comments from a listener in Brazil.

Martin Cowin (Me!) at 1825 UTC with views on fake news, the subject of today's programme. UK listener with views of fake news on social media. English to Europe. Listeners in the USA on sources of fake news on social media. To 1840 UTC.

Medium Wave: Saturday 25 November 2017

• 25 November: 2042 UTC: 1314 kHz: RNE Radio 5, Spain. Strong to moderate reception. Classical orchestral works, which have featured speech at two intervals. The speech was male, I believe it to be Spanish. I believe the music to also be Motion Picture Soundtracks. The male speech has an 'echo', so I believe I hear more than one transmitter. To 2058 UTC.
• 25 November: 2102 UTC: 1323 kHz: Smooth Radio, Sussex, UK. Strong to moderate reception, 500 watts via Southwick, Brighton. Music: Madonna 'Crazy For You', male voice with 'Smooth Radio' ID, Cyndi Lauper 'Time After Time'. Female voice: 'Your relaxing music mix, Smooth Radio' ID. KC & The Sunshine Band 'Please Don't Go'. 'Smooth Sanctuary'. George Benson 'In Your Eyes'. Male presenter with a link. Alicia Keys 'Empire State of Mind (Part 2)'; The Bee Gees. To 2120 UTC.
• 25 November: 2138 UTC: 1332 kHz: Smooth Radio, Cambridgeshire, UK. Good to moderate reception, 600 watts via Gunthorpe, Peterborough. Music: Lady Antebellum 'Need You Now'. Male host with ID for Smooth Radio prior to a lengthy ad break, including ads for Christmas! Ad for a pantomime. Music: John Lennon 'Woman'. Female ID, Fleetwood Mac 'Dreams'. 'The Smooth Sanctuary', male host. Female ID, Simply Red 'Holding Back The Years'. To 2151 UTC.

• 25 November: 2158 UTC: 1341 UTC: BBC Radio Ulster, Northern Ireland, UK. Strong to good reception, 100 kW via Lisnagarvey, County Down, Northern Ireland. Gaelic speech with music to 22 UTC. News: Arrests following stabbings at York Road, Belfast. Libyan coastguard says migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean have died. British Transport Police detain two men following incident in London on Friday night. Time Magazine v Donald Trump. Sport: Rugby Union: Ireland lose to Argentina. Weather, BBC News. 'The Saturday Club': Mystery voice, television theme, look at the news of the week, from the archive, female guest. Dedications by text: 81771, email jb @ bbc . co . uk and via Twitter @ bbcradioulster. Music: Maureen Evans 'Like I Do'. Recap of contact details. John is the host. He had to clean out the car! Music: Andy Williams 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You'. To 2216 UTC.

[Following BBC Radio Ulster on 1341 kHz, I tuned to 1350 kHz, which was quiet. Tuned to 1359 kHz, which carried a 'Black Friday Event' ad, which ruled out BBC Radio Solent, but could have ruled in Free Radio 80s (Shilton, Coventry) or Smooth Radio (South Wales / Essex). Signal did not carry, so moved on to tune to 1368 kHz.]

• 25 November: 2225 UTC: 1368 kHz: Radio Caroline North courtesy of the Radio Caroline Support Group, via Manx Radio! Strong to good reception, 20 kW via Foxdale, Isle of Man. Inclusion of an ID for 648 kHz - Caroline is going on the old BBC World Service frequency! Male host, contact from a listener at Heddon-On-The-Wall, ad break which included the Ross Revenge having to change location - Documentary available to purchase from the webshop. Weather for the Isle of Man. Music. Male ID 'This is Radio Caroline North'. Music from Status Quo; Music from The Temptations. Competitions: Listeners in Norfolk and Walsall. David Knight has been in contact with the show. Music, jingles for Radio Caroline North 1368 kHz! To 2250 UTC.

[1377 kHz was quiet]

• 25 November: 2252 UTC: 1386 kHz: Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Lithuania. Good to moderate reception, via Viešintos, Lithuania, ID as 'Radio Svaboda'. Speech from male and female, sounds quite emotional! Eastern Europe / Russian language IDs at 2259 UTC, male with news at 23 UTC: Vladimir Putin; Islamic terrorists; Angela Merkel; France: President Macron. Mugabe leaves power in Zimbabwe. To 2308 UTC.
• 25 November: 2312 UTC: 1395 kHz: Radio Seabreeze AM, Holland. Moderate reception, via Grou, Holland, 100 watts - From a transmitter BELOW sea level! Music: Mumford & Sons, male speech, web address, link into next song: Fleetwood Mac 'Dreams'; Meatloaf & Cher 'Real Dead Ringer For Love'; Duran Duran; Pretenders 'Don't Get Me Wrong'. To 2331 UTC.

[1404 kHz was quiet]

• 25 November: 2336 UTC: 1413 kHz: Premier Christian Radio, London, UK. Good to moderate reception, 500 watts via Heathrow (West London) / Dartford Marshes (East London). Male voice with a weather forecast, ID for Premier Christian Radio, music with male speech, 'God is in the moon' - Song by female vocalists, 'Church On The Moon'. 'Gospel Tonight' is the name of the show. Male ID. Echo from both transmitters. To 2354 UTC.

• 25 November: 2356 UTC: 1413 kHz: BBC Radio Gloucestershire, UK. Good to moderate reception, 500 watts via Bourton-On-The-Water / 200 watts via Berkeley Heath. "This is the Late Show from the BBC" male host, music: Texas 'I Don't Want A Lover'. Male ID for the song and the 'Late Show' - Guess the item competition - Ten minutes of the competition left! Guess from a listener in Falmouth. ID for the BBC. Music: Lynyrd Skynyrd 'Sweet Home Alabama'. [QRM from Premier Christian Radio] More guesses in the competition: A walkaway cooker?! Music: Bee Gees 'Tragedy'. The mystery items were mortar and pestle (for grinding up food). Music: Moody Blues 'Question'. To 0015 UTC.

[1422 kHz was quiet]

• [Sunday] 26 November: 0018 UTC: 1431 kHz: Smooth Radio, UK. Good to moderate reception, 350 watts via Rayleigh ( Southend-on-Sea, Essex) / 140 watts via Manor Farm, Reading, Berkshire. 'Smooth Love Songs, on Smooth Radio' Emeli Sandé & Labrinth 'Beneath Your Beautiful', ID, Wham! 'Last Christmas' - Hoping to be the Christmas Number One for 2017, to mark one year since the passing of George Michæl on Christmas Day 2016. Now playing: Vanessa Williams 'Saving The Best For Last'; Rod Stewart 'I Don't Want To Talk About It'; Shania Twain 'You're Still The One'. To 0032 UTC.

That completes the logs for October - November 2017. My intention is to spend some of the festive - New Year period listening to broadcasts, with the hope that the logs will appear on Reporting From The Fox Tower at the close of 2017 and / or the first days of 2018. Until then, Good Listening!

📻