FORBIDDEN FREQUENCIES Editor: Ray Bratletti

Since there isn't so much to hear on shortwave these days the BLANDX Board of Directors authorized this new column to cover the formerly forbidden medium wave, long wave, and FM frequency ranges. But I am required to remind you that anyone who contribtues to this column will be required to sit in the next-to-back row at the next BLANDXFest banquet. At least we will be in front of the scanner scum.

LONG WAVE

USA - NORTH CAROLINA Lee Norman, manager of the Pamlico County North Carolina Municipal airport has just announced that his airport's longwave navigational beacon (ERN on 247 khz) has been granted the license for an FM translator on 97.7 MHz. Lee says they need to use FM to reach a broader audience. Lee's goal is that "Pamlico county will have the best darn aeronautical beacon in the entire U. S. of A." (Contributor's name withheld upon request)

MEDIUM WAVE

COSTA RICA: New station in San Jose is Radio Feminina 680 kHz with programming aimed to appeal to women in the 20-45 year age range. Thousands of San Jose women protested in front of the Ministry of Communications after the station was initially assigned the call letters TITS. Minister of Communications Joaquin Figueroa apologized for the snafu and personally reassigned the station the new callsign TILC. As a gesture of good-will he even presented the station staff with a box of make-up mirrors. (Sociedade DX de Meseros Uruguayos)

MEXICO: Has anyone else noted that the programming on XELAX has been rather fluid lately? (Ray)

PANAMA: Radio HORE in Colon has been noted off frequency on 1069 kHz. (Samuel Weinstein) No, that is their regular frequncy. (Ray)

USA - FLORIDA: WART 1240 kHz in Ohahumpa, FL heard with s/on at UTC 1000. Station always plays the old Three Dog Night song Joy to the World after the top-of-the-hour newscasts. (Phil Candaro)

USA - INDIANA: Reverend James McWhorter, owner of WBGB 1450 kHz in Terre Haute, passed away in June. He did not have a will so ownership of the station has passed equally to his two sons, Reverend James McWhorter Jr. and Joseph "Mad Joe" McWhorter, lead guitar player for the heavy metal group Decapitated Frogs. The station's new format is a mix of Bible readings and Satanic rock music. (Randy Peterson)

USA - MICHIGAN: Ted Kirley reports hearing WGPT 1340 from Grosse Pointe, Michigan with a women's college basketball game between the South Chicago College Jewish Princesses and the Grosse Pointe Academy's Fighting Ghetto Ho's. He adds that Heather Goldberg of the Ghetto Ho's shot 100% from the foul line but that wasn't enough to overcome the Jewish Princesses, lead by Jazmin Jefferson's 23 points. The Ghetto Ho's have upcoming games with the Grand Rapids University White Trailer Trash, Cleveland College Clueless Suburban Bitches, and the Fort Wayne College Slant-eyes. (Ted Kirley)

USA - PENNSYLVANIA: WORK celebrated its 65th birthday on August 6th. They have applied to FCC to change their calls to WILL and relocate to St Petersburg. (Luigi Sadowski) Luigi also notes that on 1070 kHz he heard KOCK under WEAR at 1000 UTC.

CORRECTION: Contrary to what Bill Kyle wrote in last month's From the CEO column, fishnet beacons are not something that ladies-of-ill-repute wear so that sailors can find them. I was in the Navy and we just used flashlights. (Ray)