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VK7AX > BCAST 18.01.26 13:33l 624 Lines 27121 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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Subj: VK National News 18Jan26
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VK National News 18Jan26
Weekly news from the WIA:
MP3 edition of news available at: http://www.wia-files.com/podcast/wianews-2026-01-18.mp3
Text edition:
2026 JANUARY 18 WIA NATIONAL NEWS BROADCAST ON VK1WIA
------------------------------------------------------------*
THE BEST NEWS YOU'LL GET ALL WEEK
THIS LINK IS A VIDEO VERSION OF NEWS COMPILED BY VK5BD BEVAN
tinyurl.com/WIA-News-Videos
------------------------------------------------------------*
IN NATIONAL NEWS THIS WEEK:-
WIA Director and President Scott Williams VK3KJ. -
Roger Harrison VK2ZRH, manager of the VHF-UHF Field Days. -
CABLES damaged / stolen from Taiwan to Townsville.
BUT WAIT - THERE'S MUCH MUCH MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE
WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA FOR WEEK COMMENCING SUNDAY JANUARY 18
I'M EDITOR GRAHAM VK4BB
WIA EDUCATION.
education.wia.org.au
This is WIA Director and President Scott WilliamsVK3KJ and welcome to the WIA broadcast this week.
This week I have some really exciting news to share, the WIA has entered into a commercial binding agreement with the Radio and Electronics School, (known as RES) owned and operated by Ron Bertrand.
This agreement will see the WIA take over the Radio and Electronic School, which is well known as being Australias premier online resource for those seeking to begin a career in radio or electronics
The Radio and Electronic School has had a long and proud association with the WIA, servicing all states and territories through its network of volunteer facilitators and administrators. In fact, since the Radio and Electronics School was established by Ron Bertrand in 1997, several thousand students have enrolled and completed various courses through the school.
The WIA sees this opportunity as tremendous way to help new entrants into amateur radio and provide Affiliated Clubs with a wonderful online resource that will help drive participation through clubs.
On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Ron Bertrand for his service to Amateur Radio. This agreement with the WIA is a wonderful way of protecting and preserving the legacy of the Radio and Electronics School. Something that Ron should be very proud of what he has achieved.
Ron will continue to support the Radio and Electronics School in the short and medium term and it will be business as usual. Long term, the WIA will consult Affiliated Clubs on how this resource can be best applied and embedded within clubs and importantly, drive the next generation of Amateur Radio operators.
The WIA will release further information in the coming weeks via our website, social media platforms and an article in the Amateur Radio magazine.
Thats it for me this week and this has been Scott Williams, WIA President on behalf of the Board for this weeks news broadcast.
Best wishes
AUSTRALIANA
A vandal has cut fibre cables in Far North Queensland in a suspected copper theft, impacting telecommunications in the region as it braced for an incoming cyclone
Premier David Crisafulli slammed the theft at Deeragun, a suburb on the outskirts of Townsville, calling the person responsible a lowlife who has put citizens lives at risk in a time of need.
We intend to make sure that we throw the book at this individual when they are caught. Its a pretty low act at any time, but during a disaster, thats about as low as you can get.
Telstra confirmed mobile and NBN services in Mount Low, Bluewater, Black River and Saunders Beach had been affected. Optus was also experiencing an outage at Mount Low, and an NBN Co spokesperson confirmed approximately 5000 customers had been impacted.
Technicians were working to restore the network.
Copper theft is a significant international issue that affects all service companies, including Telstra, said the telcos regional general manager, Rachel Cliffe.
The impact of copper theft on customers can be significant, and despite our best efforts to repair and restore services quickly, businesses, individuals and critical community services can be disconnected for hours or days.
MEANWHILE
Free-to-air television and radio services across central Victoria face prolonged disruptions after fire severely damaged transmission infrastructure on Mount Alexander.
The two transmission sites on Mount Alexander, which broadcast free-to-air television and FM radio including ABC Local Radio, were badly damaged by a fast-moving grassfire that swept through Harcourt. The blaze has razed three businesses and at least 47 homes.
Broadcast technicians travelled to Mount Alexander as soon as safe to do so to assess the damage and develop a short-term plan to reinstate services.
A portable transmitter has now been installed in Bendigo to restore ABC Local Radio on 91.1 FM.
Satellite imagery is now revealing the extent of the damage from Victorias bushfires, which have scorched 404,000 hectares - more than five times the size of Singapore.
More than 500 structures - including 179 homes - have already been lost in the states bushfires, and insurers have received nearly 1,400 claims.
Authorities say 11 fires remain active, with crews taking advantage of milder weather to strengthen containment lines and back-burn.
Further dangerous conditions are forecast for January 23 and 24, with some fires expected to burn for weeks.
(abc news)
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS is with thanks to Amateur Radio Daily, ARRL,
DX-WORLD, eHam, Hackaday, IARU, IRTS, NEWSLINE, NZART, RAC,
Radioworld.com, RSGB, SARL and the World Wide sources of WIA.
A Chinese national has been sentenced to three years in prison for damaging an undersea cable connecting Taiwan's main island and the Penghu islands in the Taiwan Strait.
The man was the captain of the Togolese-registered vessel Hong Tai 58.
The Tainan District Court's verdict marks the first sentencing after reports in recent years of undersea cables around Taiwan being severed.
Taipei has accused Beijing of sabotaging its cables, describing it as a "grey zone" tactic to pressure the self-ruled island, which China claims as its territory.
Taiwan has 10 domestic and 14 international undersea cables.
In Taiwan, a non-profit civil defence group, Ganghu, has started training people on how to communicate using amateur radio if the internet is unavailable.
A ban on imports into the US now means that only American-made drones with American-made parts may be sold there following action by the Federal Communications Commission, citing the potential of national security risks. The agency's move follows an executive order from the White House in June, banning unmanned aircraft systems and their parts.
The executive order, known as "Restoring American Airspace Sovereignty," stated that the move also has the goal of boosting drone manufacture in the US for use there and for export to the global marketplace.
The ban is expected to have far-reaching effects on drone sellers as well as their customers. Drones are widely used by first responders, farmers, business owners and hobbyists. The ban affects only new products that are not already available in the US.
Meanwhile, as of January 1st, the landscape for drone operators has also changed in the UK, under new Civil Aviation Authority regulations. Each drone to be sold must carry Class Marks that reflect compliance with that particular aircraft's technical and safety standards.
A Remote ID is also required to transmit the drone's identification and its location while airborne. The new regulations apply to drone use by hobbyists as well as professionals. The class-based regulations do not apply to drones purchased before the first of this year.
The CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame is seeking nominations for the 2026 class of inductees. 3 nomination will be inducted in 2026.
The CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame was established in January, 2001, to recognize those individuals, whether licensed radio amateurs or not, who significantly affected the course of amateur radio; and radio amateurs who, in the course of their professional lives, had a significant impact on their professions or on world affairs.
Nominations may be sent to k8cx(at)hamgallery.com
The US Supreme Court has decided to hear a case that puts the FCCs entire
system for imposing fines under constitutional scrutiny, and could
dramatically redefine how the agency enforces rules on pirate radio, EAS
compliance, and broadcast operations.
At issue is whether the Communications Act allows the FCC to levy civil penalties without first providing a jury trial in an Article III court.
FCC v. AT&T follows a Fifth Circuit ruling that vacated a $57 million fine against the communications giant, finding the Commissions internal forfeiture process unconstitutional under the Seventh Amendment and Article III, even though companies can later challenge unpaid fines in federal court.
President Trump first threw his support behind a bill that would require AM radio in passenger vehicles when he took the stage at the 2024 NRB International Christian Media Convention. I will do my part to protect AM radio in our cars, Trump told Christian broadcasters at the time. Now
The President is recommitting to that pledge.
I like the AM In Every Car [bill], Mr. Trump said a few days past in an interview with Salem Radio Networks Hugh Hewitt. Im in favour of it. Its interesting. A lot of people dont know about that, but its actually a very big subject, a huge deal and were going to be doing something on that.
During his earlier appearance at the NRB Convention, Trump acknowledged that AM radio was a critical outlet for his base.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
NOW CONTEST WISE:- 2026
This is Roger Harrison VK2ZRH, manager of the VHF-UHF Field Days.
With the 2026 Summer event done and dusted, for all those who took part, answered CQs and worked a bunch of stations, every other participant would appreciate you submitting a log. Even if you only made 10 contacts!
So get that log submitted. Its easy because its automated by using the online VK Contest Log Checker. How to do it is in the Rules!
But . . before you do . . make sure that we can identify that its your log!
Please ensure that you have your name, call sign, location, and six character grid square all entered correctly.
TODAY is the deadline! Get your log uploaded before midnight Australian Eastern Standard Time!
Get cracking!
For those who used VKCL for logging, be sure to convert the exported log into Cabrillo format using the conversion application that you can download from the VK Contest Log Checker web site. Only submit your Cabrillo-formatted log.
Thanks to all those who have already submitted logs. Most appreciated. And thanks also for the Soap Box remarks.
Once again TODAY is the deadline! Get your log uploaded before midnight Australian Eastern Standard Time!
Get cracking!
This is Roger Harrison VK2ZRH for WIA National News.
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FELIX hear with a reminder that ROSS HULL is all of January.
----------------
17 and 18 January the North American SSB QSO Party
(sarl)
----------------
JANUARY 2026 AX DAY CONTEST JANUARY 26 MONDAY ONLY.
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FEBRUARY 21 and 22 ARRL DX CW
--------------
MARCH - Jock White Memorial Field Day
This annual contest is named to honour Jock White ZL2GX, NZART Contest
and Awards Manager for over 40 years, for the service that he gave to
NZART during that time.
Feb 28, Saturday, 1500-2400 NZDT and Sunday March one 0600-1500 NZDT.
40 and/or 80 metres, PHONE (SSB) and/or CW, 100 watts PEP maximum.
Stations using two transmitters may operate simultaneously on both bands,
however only one transmitter may be operated on a single band at a time.
Single transmitter stations may operate on one or both bands.
(nzart.org.nz)
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MARCH 7 - 8 ARRL DX SSB
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MARCH 15 BERU
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MARCH 21 and 22 JOHN MOYLE MEMORIAL FIELD DAY
(new rules for 2026)
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NOW LET'S OPEN THE DX WINDOW TO THE WORLD ------------
It's to Cleveland Ohio first.
Case Western Reserve University's Case Amateur Radio Club W8EDU recently became the first collegiate club to receive the American Radio Relay League DXCC Trident Award.
This prestigious amateur radio award recognizes confirmed contacts with amateur radio stations in at least 100 different foreign countries on each operating mode: radiotelegraphy, radiotelephony & digital communications.
This represents a substantial engineering and operating skill achievement, said David Kazdan, faculty advisor and adjunct assistant professor of electrical engineering. Student operators put in a great deal of time making all three thresholds. The contact that took us to the mark was with station TO4K in Saint Barthelemy, radiotelephone on the 15 meter band.
----------
The D A R C Team SES are active as DH 2026 EM between the 10th of January and the 10th of February during the Men's European Handball Championship being co-hosted by Denmark, Sweden and Norway.
(newsline2515)
-------------
Harald, DF2WO will be active again as 9X2AW from Rwanda, starting 22 January 2026 until the 8th of February 2026. He will operate on 160 6m, CW, SSB, Digital modes and QO-100 satellite.
(m0oxo.com)
-------------
Portuguese Broadcasters Network (Rede dos Emissores Portugueses (REP))
has announced an activity open to its members across Portugal, running
until 31 December using the special callsign CT 100 REP, this year-long
collective activity celebrates the 100th anniversary of the founding of
the REP, Portugal's IARU society. Operation is across various
HF, VHF, and UHF bands using multiple modes (SSB, CW, Digital) and satellites.
(425dxnews)
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THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES:-
100 years ago "Plus Ultra" was the flying boat which completed the first
transatlantic flight between Spain and South America, this, January 1926.
Marking the centenary of that event, Cartagena Ham Team members are
active as AO5PU now until 25th January.
QSL via EA 5 GTU.
(425dxnews)
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REMINDERS
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DX WINDOW ON THE WORLD 2026
JANUARY
-------------
ZL 100 C is the callsign celebrating the centenary of NZART
the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters which was formed
on 16 August 1926.
The callsign is valid until 6 August 2026.
QSL via the bureau and LoTW.
(425dxnews)
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Yannick is active as CN 2 YD from Marrakech, Morocco until the 31st of
March this 26 year. You can find him using SSB on the 20 to 10m bands.
QSL via F6FYD directly or via the Bureau
(rsgb)
---------
SOTA Croatia is marking 10 years. Listen for the special callsign
9 A 10 SOTA. The callsign is on the air through to 2026, the 30th of
September 2026 to be precise.
A certificate will be available for contacts made between the 1st of October and the 31st of December THIS YEAR.. QSL via LoTW.
(newsline2501)
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WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- ASTRONOMY (and Wireless Weather)
NASA Marks 50 Years Of GOES Satellites
NOAAs Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites, or GOES programme started a revolution in meteorology and weather forecasting. With GOES-1, satellite-sourced weather data could be sourced without waiting for the satellite to pass overhead. Previous satellites could only provide data at the times they were passing overhead.
The first three GOES satellites carried an instrument called Visible and Infrared Spin-Scan Radiometer (VISSR). This instrument enabled meteorologists to collect a wider range of data as well as a fuller set of data than ever before. GOES-1 went up in 1974, with the next two arriving in the next five years
The second generation of GOES satellites added important weather observation instruments. With these, our understanding of phenomena such as El Nio and tropical storms improved greatly. Furthermore, beginning with GOES-7, an RF receiver was added as part of the Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking (SARSAT) system.
The current generation of GOES satellites, known as GOES-R, added a variety of capabilities. These satellites feature the ability to narrow in and zoom out from local to global views with a choice of scan rates. Fire-detection instruments were added for the first time ever on a geostationary satellite. Many hobbyists enjoy receiving direct L-band downlinks from these satellites.
(na)
WORLD WIDE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP NEWS
SUMMITS ON THE AIR, WORLD WIDE FLORA, FAUNA PROGRAM,
PARKS ON THE AIR and other ADVENTURE GROUPS.
hema.org.uk/index.jsp
minesontheair.com/about-mota
parksontheair.com/
sota.org.uk
sotawatch.sota.org.uk/en/
facebook.com/SotaAustralia/
wwffaustralia.com/
Parks On The Air (POTA) is an amateur radio activity that encourages operators to set up portable stations in parks and make contacts from the field. The YL POTA Party is an exciting way for women of all ages to experience portable operating, learn by doing, and enjoy time on the air together.
YL POTA parties are held each year around International Womens Day, with gatherings planned worldwide to celebrate womens contributions to radio and their involvement in the hobby.
International Women's Day (IWD) 2026 is officially on Sunday, March 8, 2026, but many events will occur on the preceding 2 days, Friday, March 6
ad Saturday March 7.
One YL POTA PARTY we have seen will be on air Saturday, March 7,
from Pineway Ponds Park along the Erie Canal in Spencerport, NY.
So March 6/7/8 keep your ears tuned and your walking shoes ready.
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - DIGITAL.
VK amateur radio operators have partnered with commercial networking experts, KernWi-Fi to build an "enterprise-grade" network of linked repeaters. The network of repeaters utilizes Yaesu's Multisite Repeater System (IMRS) technology to route repeater traffic over a secure internet link.
Phil Kern, VK5PK, in a report on Amateur Radio Daily sais "the goal was
straightforward: deliver IMRS over an IP fabric that behaves like a carrier networkpredictable routing, strong isolation, and security you can audit. If we treat community infrastructure with enterprise discipline, reliability follows."
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - FINAL FRONTIER
AMSAT-VK Secretary - secretary(at)amsat-vk.org
The small Balkan nation of Montenegro finished 2025 by taking a
history-making step into space with the launch of its first satellite.
Weighing just under 2 kilograms, the 1U CubeSat began its journey on
the 28th of December aboard a Soyuz carrier rocket from Russia's new
cosmodrome near the border with China. A project of Montenegro Space
Research, it is designed to collect data for transmission back to Earth.
On board are a high-resolution camera, solar panels and a variety of
sensors - all designed to function throughout the satellite's three-year
mission in low-earth orbit.
Montenegro's amateur radio association announced that it received its
first telemetry signals from the satellite on the 31st of December 2025.
The satellite has been named Luca [pronounced: LOO CHA], which is
Montenegrin for "light."
(newsline2515)
The Hubble Space Telescope, which has radically changed our understanding of the Universe for more than three decades, is nearing the end of its mission. Due to atmospheric drag, its orbit is steadily decreasing, threatening to burn up in Earths atmosphere. According to new calculations presented at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society, this could happen as early as 2033, and in a pessimistic scenario, even as early as 2029.
Launched in 1990 at an altitude of about 579 km, the space telescope has fallen more than 50 km over the years of its service. Although NASA periodically adjusted the observatorys orbit, the main factor is atmospheric drag. The density of the upper layers of the atmosphere varies depending on the activity of the Sun. The current period of high solar activity is accelerating the fall. If the altitude falls below 400 km, there will be only a year left before the final entry into the atmosphere.
(universemagazine)
A live Satellite Communication Demonstration with the International Space Station was successfully conducted in Pransla village, Gujarat (India) on 29 December 2025 with more than 12,000 students assembled.
The live science and space outreach program was conducted with the active support of AMSAT-INDIA and Upagraha Amateur Radio Club (UpARC) at Indian Space Research Organisations U R Rao Satellite Centre.
Basic concepts like ham radio, satellite communication, uplink & downlink, azimuth, elevation, frequencies, etc., and satellite tracking were explained so students could understand the upcoming live ISS pass. Three confirmed two-way contacts were made during the single ISS pass before what may be one of the largest crowds ever assembled for a satellite demonstration.
(ANS)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS - IOTA
iota-world.org/
IOTA NUMBER SA-036
Mathias, DL4MM is on the air as P4AA from Aruba, IOTA number SA-036, from the 11th through to the 29th of January and his operations will include the CQ WW 160-Meter CW Contest. Outside the contest, listen for him using CW, SSB and FT8 on 160-10 metres.
(newsline2515)
-------
IOTA NUMBER AS-003
4 S 7 KKG Sri Lanka
Peter, DC0KK is currently active again as 4S7KKG from Sri Lanka,
IOTA AS - 003.
(dxnews.com)
--------
IOTA NUMBER AS-013
DS 1 TUW will be active holiday style as 8 Q 7 JI from the Maldives
(AS-013) 18-24 January. He will operate mainly FT8, with some CW / SSB
on 80-10 metres. QSL via Club Log's OQRS, LoTW, or direct to home call
which again is DS1TUW.
(425DXNEWS)
---------------
----------------
OC REMINDERS
------------
----------
OC-047 - H44MS - Malaita Island in the Solomons.
Bernard, H44MS will be active from Manakwai village, nearby Maluu
(northern Malaita island) covering the 2026 period January 25 / April 10.
(dx-world)
-------------
OC-66 - TX9XG - Rangiroa Atoll.
Haru, JA1XGI has announced that he will be active from Rangiroa Atoll,
French Polynesia (OC-066) as TX9XG during April 1-8, 2026. He plans to
QRV on 40-10m; CW, SSB, RTTY & FT8 using the new IC-7300 MK2.
QSL TX9XG via Haru's home call, JA1XGI using OQRS Club Log.
(dx-world)
----------------
OC-150
Jozef is active again as YB9/ON6HX from Mataram on Lombok Island (OC-150)
until 11 March.
Listen for YB9/ON6HX as he operates CW, SSB, RTTY, FT8, and FT4 from 0C-150 and QSL via LoTW, eQSL, or via home call which again is ON6HX.
(425dxnews)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- RESCUE RADIO
A mother and her child stranded deep in the dense Stanislaus National Forest in California late last week left a trail of handwritten notes that helped their rescuers find them, officials announced this week.
On July 11, the 49-year-old woman and her 9-year-old son travelled from the Sacramento area to Camp Wolfeboro for an overnight camping trip, officials with the Calavera County Sheriffs Office said in a news release.
The mother and son were found about another mile from the second note.
The crew then used a HAM radio to report back to a command post.
After broadcasting emergency traffic via Amateur Radio, their call was immediately answered by a retired El Dorado County Communications Supervisor who was a HAM operator monitoring frequencies from his home, officials said. This operator then contacted the El Dorado 911 centre, which provided the information to Calaveras Dispatch, and the SAR command post was notified.
Read more MSN:
bit.ly/4qNn1WM
(twiar)
WW SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS --- SOFTWARE FOR HAMS
An Arizona radio amateur has issued a call, asking fellow hams to turn
their efforts toward making digital mode software such as WSJT-X more
accessible to sight impaired hams.
Software builders and tinkerers are being sent a special message from
NU 7 I on behalf of radio operators like him who are blind or have low vision, keeping them from enjoying some digital modes.
One of the gifts that Darrell, NU7I, has provided to users of contemporary technology is his blog, Blind Access Journal.
As an advocate for people who are blind, like Darrell - or perhaps challenged by low vision or obstacles posed by ageing - he has developed his blog to provide resources to developers, decision-makers and other consumers of technology so they can make the modern world more accessible to everyone.
Darrell says that the increasing popularity of digital modes has made it harder for hams with disabilities to participate fully because an accessible user interface is missing from the software.
He said that because WSJT-X is open source, it provides an opportunity for collaboration for improvements in keyboard navigation, screen reader support and overall usability. He hopes his blog can be a place where advocates, developers and users can brainstorm.
To volunteer or simply to learn more, contact Darrell on this email
editor(at)blindaccessjournal.com.
(ICQPodcast)
------------------------------------------------------------*
IT'S A DATE
Clubs are welcome to email text with audio for this section,
nationalnews(at)wia.org.au
Details of all WIA affiliated clubs and societies can be found
on the WIA website, including email addresses and website links.
--------------------- SOCIAL SCENE 2026 ------------------
REAST will be holding a huge amateur radio CarBoot sale in the Queens
Domain compound from 11am TODAY Sunday 18th January 2025.
https://www.reast.asn.au/event/huge-carboot-sale-sausage-sizzle/
73, REAST Committee
VK3 - Ballarat Amateur Radio Group Hamvention Sunday Feb 1 (wiacal)
VK6 - PARGFEST Mandurah Bowling Club February 7 9am (vk6pbs)
VK4 - Redfest - Deception Bay North State School 9am April 11. (vk4ble)
VK - WIA AGM May 2 at 2pm Albury VK2 couples with ICOM VK SUMMIT 2026
also in Albury May 2 and 3. (wiacal/ARMAG )
VK5 - Adelaide Amateur Radio & Electronics Car Boot Sale Dogs SA
Showground, Cromwell Road, Kilburn 10.00am. November 21. (wiacal)
Reception Reports
No we DO like to hear where in the world you are listening to this,
the WIA NATIONAL NEWS SERVICE.
WIA News rebroadcasters often give Short Wave Listeners a
welcome to the broadcast as they commence call-backs
straight after the Local News. Local news follows National
news in all states. It would be great if those SWL's would
email their reception reports and location to
callbacks(at)wia.org.au
Not only but also those watching us on YouTube, leave a comment , access
is just below the picture on screen and again tell us where and maybe
even the day and time you are listening
---------------------------------------------------------------*
(Posted to the packet network courtesy Tony VK7AX)
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