DX Notes: November - December 2016

MAY I begin this post by wishing you all a Merry Christmas, as I compose this post at 1620 UTC on Christmas Day - Sunday 25 December 2016.

For the final time in 2016 on RFTFT, a compilation of radio broadcast logs. Times listed are UTC (Universal Time Co-ordination, same as GMT), frequencies are listed as kHz (kiloHertz), unless otherwise stated in the log.

November 2016: Medium Wave

• 14 November: 1436 UTC: 1557 kHz: Mixture of signals, unable to identify, though the strongest most likely to be BBC Radio Lancashire (250 watts via Lancaster [Oxcliffe]).
• 14 November: 1516 UTC: 1566 kHz: Mixture of signals lost in the white noise and static, possibilities on this channel include BBC Somerset (1 kW via Taunton [Relays of BBC Bristol]), also Premier Christian Radio (800 watts via Guildford). Holland also broadcasts on this frequency; That broadcast was discounted.
• 14 November: 1541 UTC: 1575 kHz: Female speech started strongly, soon faded. Serious propagation. Logs show RAI Radio 1 (Italy) and SER (Spain) on this channel.

• 14 November: 1555 UTC: Log notes show the onset of dusk at this time; Birds beginning to roost.
• 14 November: 1600 UTC: 1584 kHz: Music, followed by female speech - News bulletin? Male speech too. Music: Huey Lewis & The News 'Power of Love'; The Mamas & The Papas 'Monday Monday'. Traffic & travel report identified BBC Hereford & Worcester, 300 watts to North Herefordshire, via Woofferton, Shropshire. Moderate to poor reception. Music: Culture Club.
• 14 November: 1731 UTC: 1593 kHz: This is not a UK channel, though it did sound like a broadcast trying to break through - Logs only state Romania. Discounted.
• 14 November: 1740 UTC: 1602 kHz: Music: 'Rivers of Babylon', Cliff Richard 'Power To All Our Friends', The Drifters. No speech or ID logged! Logs list BBC Radio Kent (250 watts, Rusthall), Desi Radio (70 watts, Southall), Thruxton (1 watt, Andover) as UK broadcasts, Seagull (Holland) and SER (Spain) as European broadcasts on this channel. Music continued: Thin Lizzy 'The Boys Are Back In Town'.

• 14 November: 1827 UTC: 1638 kHz: Music, which includes whistling! Logs list the Dutch pirate De Vrolijke Mijnwerker [The Merry Miner]. Fade out... Fade in! Logs state polka music...✔ I believe this to be the broadcast I am hearing. Fair to poor reception.
• 14 November: 1849 UTC: 1656 kHz: Music - Though logs state the closest broadcasts to this channel are De Vrolijke Mijnwerker (see above) or Zender Matrix (Holland) on or around 1670 kHz. Yodeling music. Polka music. Very faint reception.

December 2016: Short Wave

• 20 December: 2043 UTC: 6195 kHz: Voice of America, English to Africa via Botswana. Moderate reception. 'African Beat': English speech, music to close of broadcast. VOA ID: 'Yankee Doodle'. ✱ 2100 UTC: 6195 kHz now broadcast from Sao Tome: News headlines: Shooting of Russian Ambassador to Turkey. Evacuation of Aleppo. US President Elect Donald Trump meets staff. New electronic laws in Thailand. 'VOA1 - The Hits'. Music: Twenty One Pilots 'Heathens'. Ellie Goulding. Improved reception from Sao Tome: Good to moderate reception. English to Africa via Sao Tome.
• 20 December: 2142 UTC: 7285 kHz: China Radio International, English to Europe & Africa, via Albania. Strong to good reception. Male and female hosts of the English language programme 'Roundtable'. Topics include listener feedback online; Smog; The pace of life; Emojis and memes.

• 20 December: 2225 UTC: 9420 kHz: Music, with a Mediterranean flavour... Logs state Voice of Greece and a 2012 schedule does confirm Greece on this channel at this time. Upbeat music, male and female vocalists, speech from a male - In Greek? Music with female vocalist. Strong to good reception.

That concludes the logs for 2016.

RFTFT's Top 3 of 2016: Video Edition

Springtime with Sharapova

Roxanne Leah Townsend

This hair makes me feel so kinky - it's the curls... pic.twitter.com/PHSCnUgO4J

— Makeupby_ROXY (@roxi_townsend) April 12, 2016

Wallpaper of the Week, 1 May 2016

The above videos were included in the original Top 3 of 2016 posts, as refered to in the post dated Sunday 18 December 2016.

Three and a half hours have passed since I began to compose this post, so I shall bid you good evening and wish you all the enjoyment of your celebrations.

RFTFT's Most Popular: Top 3 of 2016

ONE week until Christmas Day; Two weeks until New Year's Day, so I am taking the opportunity to review 2016 on Reporting From The Fox Tower by bringing you the top three most viewed posts of the year, beginning with the most popular first.

Springtime with Sharapova

The most viewed post on Reporting From The Fox Tower during 2016 has been 'Springtime with Sharapova', which was posted May 28th and has had 1038 (One thousand and thirty-eight) views. The post anticipated the upcoming summer of sport, which included the Euro 2016 football tournament and the tennis season. It was relating to the tennis season that Springtime with Sharapova reflected on Maria Sharapova's 2014 victory at Roland Garros. Springtime with Sharapova was followed up a week later by 'Summertime with Sharapova', which did not fare as well.

To the second most popular post:

Roxanne Leah Townsend

The Silver medal for 2016 goes to Roxanne Leah Townsend, for the post 'Roxanne Leah Townsend', which was posted September 11th and has had 178 views.

The post was a celebration of Roxanne Leah Townsend, to show Rox continued love and support.

The third most popular post:

Wallpaper of the Week, 1 May 2016

The Bronze medal for 2016 goes to the 'Wallpaper of the Week' - A long standing feature, here on RFTFT - for May 1st, which has had 123 views.

The post reflected on the music video for 'Under Your Spell', which featured Eden based actress and model Abbie Steele. The image for the post was taken from the music video.

This blog has long supported Abbie's career, and will continue to do so.

Support Abbie by visiting her website, follow her Twitter updates and click 'Like' on her Facebook page.

Those are the top three most popular posts of 2016, Reporting From The Fox Tower will post over the festive season, so please do continue visiting!

Summertime with Sharapova.

IT is now officially Summer! The Met Office designates the first day of June as the first day of Meteorological Summer, a fact and a title that deserves the use of italics. The first day of June has passed, and the previous post here on Reporting From The Fox Tower, 'Springtime with Sharapova', becomes 'Summertime with Sharapova'.

To mark 'Summertime with Sharapova', above is an image taken from Esquire Latin America's May 2013 cover shoot. The shoot was one of Maria Sharapova's most popular photoshoots.

'Springtime with Sharapova' celebrated Maria Sharapova's 2014 Roland-Garros French Open Championship victory. 'Summertime with Sharapova' can bring you news of the result of the 2016 French Open Ladies Final: Spain's Garbine Muguruza beat world number one Serena Williams in straight sets to win her first Grand Slam title at the French Open.

'Springtime with Sharapova' closed with a video of Maria's photoshoot following the Roland-Garros victory; 'Summertime with Sharapova' closes with a video of Maria's Esquire photoshoot.

Until the next time, enjoy.

🌟