News Archive

ACORES
I have just received my copy of the WRTH 2011, and unfortunately found some incorrect items:

RDP Antena 1 Açores
Pico da Barrosa 837 10 kW, São Miguel island, is no more.  The file with the RDP stns I have recently received from www.rtp.pt is the same RTP sends to the WRTH, and I'm sure the latter forwarded it to the Country Contributor, and 837 is no longer listed there.  I take it WRTH Country Contributors should perhaps keep in touch with their colleagues handling the MW sections so as to avoid such discrepancies.
History:
One of the reasons why this outlet was terminated is the collapse of the tower during a storm.

Commercial Stations
R. Club de Angra (909 kHz, inactive, tower collapsed years ago) and Estação Emissora do Club Asas do Atlântico (1566 kHz, inactive) are being listed separately instead of appearing under the "Other Stations" (VHF-FM only) list, but those two fqs are omitted.  The fact is that they're both licenced MW stns that are simply not active [on MW] for certain reasons, but both remain active on VHF-FM.  It is up to www.erc.pt ultimately to decide towards the removal of their MW licences, but then again this hasn't happened so far. On the other hand, ERC is usually swift in doing so regarding VHF-FM licences.
History:
As a matter of fact, RCA 909 vanished when their monopole collapsed a number of years ago, and increasing competition from the VHF-FM-only local stns and revenue decrease paved the way for halting MW operation, and it is almost they will remain silent on MW for the years to come.
1566 is silent not due to technical reasons, but for the same financial motive that caused RCA to suspend MW.

Military Stations
Rádio Lajes - Voz da FAP
No mention of the [continuously postponed] planned reactivation on MW 1530[formerly thought was 1584] (ex-648), no VHF-FM [93.5 MHz 150 watt] fq listed, stn director's name [currently, Lt.Colonel Carlos Mendes] also omitted.  As a matter of fact, Lt.Col. Carlos Mendes' name should have been mentioned in the WRTH 2009 & 2010 editions.
Carlos Goncalves (10/12-2010)

ACORES
828 Antena 1 Açores, Monte das Cruzes, Flores, is "back in business" as obs'ed. on 15 April:
2225-22422, 15 Apr, songs prgr; 45343, adj. QRM, so maybe the fault on the site was not that serious after all.
Best regards, Carlos Goncalves (18/4-2010)

ACORES
828 Antena 1 Açores, Monte das Cruzes, Ilha das Flores, Flores island, has been off due to a tx break down; it is estimated that the repair crew arrived on the island today, 12 Apr, so as to solve the problem and reactivate this 1 kW that serves both this island and that of Corvo.   This is actually my best AZR channel here despite [often avoidable] QRM de E.
Carlos Goncalves (13/4-2010)

AÇORES
909 R.Club de Angra
1566 Estação Emissora do Club Asas do Atlântico.
These two (plus R.Altitude, Guarda, here on mainland) will most probably loose their MW permits, i.e. if the decision hasn't been taken into force, on grounds of non-use of their fqs.
Carlos Goncalves, Portugal (5/6-2009)

ACORES
Rádio Lajes - A Voz da Força Aérea Portuguesa, will hopefully be back on MW soon, though neither on its previous, inactive, outlet on 648 kHz (was 650 kHz at least in the mid~late 70s) nor on the one shown in their website, i.e. 1530 kHz, which was the fq. they originally planned to move to. It's going to be on 1584 kHz, a frq. where the stn seemed to have operated in the past too. Power will again be 1 kW via the old, idle tx.
Part of their future plans include DRM operation on MW via a new tx and VHF-FM power increase from the current 0.150 kW PEP to 0.5 kW PEP. Besides that, split operation will be an option, i.e. VHF-FM, internet and MW all carrying different channels albeit incl. some relays of R.Renascença, and with sport being carried via MW.
R. Lajes' audience is not confined to the Lajes airbase personel, nor to Lajes or even Praia da Vitória, the nearest town, but to the whole island of Terceira at least. [http://www.radiolajes.com/lajes] 
Carlos Goncalves (9/6-2006)
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AFGHANISTAN
Logged VOA Deewa Radio in Pashto on 621 kHz, 2nd May during check at around 1750 UTC, this is via the new MW transmitter site in Afghanistan located in Tani-Khost, a 200 kW Harris transmitter was installed recently.
Schedule : 0100-0400 & 1300-1900 UTC on 621 kHz in Pashto
Here's an audio file:
http://sites.google.com/site/alokeshgupta2/deewa_radio_voa_621_1758
-1800utc_2may2010r.mp3?attredirects=0&d=1
Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi via mwdx yg (5/5-2010)

AFGHANISTAN / U S A
The US Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) has issued a modification to its contract with Harris Corporation concerning a recently-installed BBG mediumwave transmitter in Afghanistan: ?Harris is the only firm capable of meeting BBG's requirement to enhance the capabilities of the existing 200 kW shelterized mediumwave (MW) transmitting system in a remote location of Afghanistan to provide for 24-7 operations. The enhancement to existing
Harris designed and provided broadcast site includes the design, fabrication,
shipment, optional installation, commissioning and testing of one (1) additional
Caterpillar C-18 generator capacity and fuel capacity at the recently completed site. It is mandatory the new equipment be precisely integrated into the existing site with no downtime. Harris is required to provide all personnel, design, equipment, materials, supplies, documentation, training, fabrication, assembly, packing for overseas shipment, shipment, installation and otherwise do all things necessary and incident to the delivery of a highly efficient and highly reliable commercially available enhancement to the existing
solid-state mediumwave (MW) transmitting system. Minimal US Government security is
provided at the site.
Source: BBG via tradingmarkets.com

Andy Sennitt, RN Media Network weblog adds:
This appears to be the new transmitter carrying VOA's Deewa Radio in Pashto into the Pakistan border area. According to a BBG document issued in July 2009, "an AM transmitter was being readied in Afghanistan whose signal was expected to extend signi?cantly into the targeted region inside Pakistan. The transmitters are located in Afghanistan rather than
in Pakistan because the Pakistan Media Law is very restrictive in this matter." 
Currently, only shortwave frequencies are listed for Deewa Radio on the VOA website. Does anyone know if the transmitter is already operational, and on what frequency?
mwcircle yg (25/4-2010)
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ALGERIA
From 11st of December, 2009 i discovered that ALG - Alger Chaine 1 is broadcasting again on 549 khz. This is parallel to 531 khz. My QTH is Magyarlak, in western part of Hungary.
Tibor Gaal (17/12-2009)

ALGERIA
700 kHz Polisario Front, Tindouf (?), 01 SEP, 1820 (fade in)-..., Arabic, folk songs, talks; 25442, but only poor~fair performance till late in the evening.  Today (02 SEP, 1835) for instance, it's barely detected, with most of the QRM coming from ALG 702.    
Having said that, I must conclude the obvious: reception up here in the capital is worse than down on Algarve's west coast, even comparing almost equal K9AY antennae: an elevated or
raised 25 m / loop one here in Lisbon vs. an on the ground 2x25 m / loop on the coastal place.
1550 Polisario Front, Tindouf (?), remains off.
73, Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal (2/9-2006)
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ARGENTINA
New MW stations:
"K24 en Radio" is broadcasting from Buenos Aires on 690 kHz AM. K24 is offering its broadcast time for independent producers of all types of programming from football to musicals. Currently much of the nighttime broadcasts consists of Christian programs while tango is being played during the day, and a multitude of different programming in the evenings. The station can be reached by email. According to its website the phone number is (011) 3530-9382, but also 4642-5533 and 4642-5315 have been announced on the air.
Radio La Roca is a new unlicensed Evangelical station broadcasting on 1530 kHz. It is located in the greater Buenos Aires region, but its exact location and contact information remain unknown.
Radio Voz is yet another new station from the same region, broadcasting on 1590 kHz. Radio Voz may be a reincarnation of Radio Cristiana Adonai, which used to be broadcasting on the same frequency, and was located in Partido Lomas de Zamora.
Information about the stations was first published by Marcelo A. Cornachioni on Condig mailing list.
DXing.info (12/1-2011)

ARGENTINA
Fantástico FM 91.9 has begun simulcasting on 1700 kHz AM. The station was founded by recording company Magenta. Fantástico FM is located in Partido de Tigre in the capital Buenos Aires. First information about the station was published by DXer Federico Fuleston on Condig mailing list on October 21, and the station was immediately heard as far as in Finland.
Another new station on the Buenos Aires AM dial is La Radio de las Buenas Nuevas (RBN) on 1510 kHz. This evangelical station is unlicensed and is run by Iglesia de Dios Pentecostal Movimiento de Lanús. RBN began its first test transmissions already on April 5, 2010, but initially with very low power. The station can be reached by writing to Ejército de los Andes Nº 5, del Barrio de Villa Fiorito (Banfield Oeste), Partido de Lomas de Zamora, Provincia de Buenos Aires, or by calling at (011) 4276-2423 or 4267-8740, as well as by email. Information about the station was published first by Marcelo A. Cornachioni on Condig mailing list on October 16.
DXing.info (26/11-2010)

ARGENTINA
New Argentine "legal" station:
Frequency: 750 KHz
Station Name: Radio AM 7-50
QTH: Venezuela 370, 2º Piso, (C1095AAH) CA Buenos Aires.
Tels: +54 (11) 5354-6651, 5354-6655
E-mail: <web@radioam750.com.ar>
Web: <www.radioam750.com.ar>
Station Manager: Francisco Maritello
Power: 1/0,25 kW.
Marcelo A. Cornachioni (27/10-2010)

ARGENTINA
Developments on the Buenos Aires AM dial.
Radio del Buen Ayre, Ituzaingó, Partido de Ituzaingó, is a new station on 1400 kHz, reported in June by Arnaldo Slaen, who picked up the station announcing 4661-4784 as its telephone number. Radio del Buen Ayre has been broadcasting different types of non-stop music as part of its test broadcasts.
Radio 750 is a new licensed station in the Greater Buenos Aires, heard by Arnaldo Slaen on June 17, driving neighboring Radio Cooperativa to move from 740 to 770 kHz. Radio Cooperativa in turn is an unlicensed station that seems to have replaced another unlicensed station on 770, namely Amplitud 770, located in Lomas del Mirador, Partido de La Matanza. On its website Amplitud 770 says that its transmission tower was destroyed on July 2, forcing the station off the air, after which another station took over the frequency in less than two days time. The battle for 770 AM was reported by Marcelo A. Cornachioni.
DXing.info (12/7-2010)

ARGENTINA
Another Latin American station on 1320 kHz is Radio Scombro from José C. Paz, in the suburbs of Buenos Aires in Argentina. AM programming is a relay of 90.7 FM, according to local DXer Arnaldo Slaen. He heard the station announcing telephone numbers 4663-4000 and 02320-581615, with street address as Cruce de la Ruta 8 y la Ruta 197, en José C. Paz, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Slaen reported the station on Condig mailing list on April 19.
DXing.info (26/4-2010)

ARGENTINA
Changes on the Buenos Aires AM dial.
Radio Area Uno is a new station in the Argentine capital area, broadcasting on 1320 kHz mediumwave. The station transmits from Partido de Tres de Febrero, Provincia de Buenos Aires, using the slogan "La Radio del Deporte". Local DXer Arnaldo Slaen was the first to report hearing Radio Area Uno on October 2, and reported it on Condig mailing list on October 5.
Another new station is La Radio de los Cunumí Guazú. The station is run from the Centro de Residentes Litoraleños "Los Cunumí Guazú", with address as: Calle Marcelo T. de Alvear 650, (B1755JMN) Rafael Castillo, Buenos Aires. Telephone (011) 4603-4790. Local DXer Marcelo A. Cornachioni was the first to report the station on Condig mailing list on September 24. [Frequency 1430 kHz? (Ydun Ritz)]
DXing.info (24/10-2009)

UNID / ARGENTINA
Dear Ydun M Ritz,
Since a couple of days I have noted a SS station on 1650 AM believed to be Argentina! My first obs. on 14 May at UTC 0253.
Playing mostly non stop mx, and just this part of identification I have noted ".... 16-50 la emisora de familia" by a male voice. Lonely on the X-band!! this morning 16 May at UTC 0244.
At UTC 0255 a compostion played similar the style of a national anthmem. At UTC 0300 midnight is in Arg.
Before this hour little more popular mx even tangos!! But after very soft and like serious mx, when night starts down there?
I have checked the latest info on the Arg site of DX-ing Info, and find a note that RDB is inactive. The two mentioned stns  in WRTHB 2008 R Renacer and R Reivir are not listed on your site.May I ask you for the latest news?
My best regards Hasse Mattisson, Sweden (16/5-2008)

I have made an audioclip. Time UTC 0254, with -3 for ARG, 6 mins before local midnight. The clip starts with ID "La Estacion Esperanza" with lot of ??? abt frq and later also the "La Emisora de la Familia". At last - 5 mins before ARG midnight - something sounded like NA.
I have eliminated Radio Revivir by checking their live stream on the web.
Have suspected CP in DOM (Radeco), but then again eliminated because of the mx mix and the NA.
Hasse Mattisson, (20/5-2008)

Hasse has heard the same station almost every morning since May 14th. Does anybody have an idea of which station, this could be?
Ydun Ritz (20/5-2008)
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AUSTRALIA
Radio Symban 2368.5 kHz.
They're back on air after a 3-4week absence tonight (Tue Jan 18th, 2011).
Ian, pacificfmdx via dxld yg (18/1.2011)

AUSTRALIA
At 1811z on 100913 I got BBC WS NX quite clear on 1152 kHz at our Jongensgat DXpedition site on the Indian South East Coast of South Africa.
Got it on subsequent dys as well. 
No reference to it in WRTH. Anyone any idea where this TX is???
John Plimmer, Montagu, Cape Province, South Africa mwdx yg (26/9-2010)

AUSTRALIA
With reference to my previous email regarding the ABC News Radio test transmission on 1152 kHz from Busselton:
The Australian Federal Government has pledged additional funding for the expansion of new ABC News Radio services into all centres around the country with populations of more than 10,000 (subject to the availability of spectrum) and will include over 80 frequencies by the end of 2010, according to the ABC News Radio website (ABC NewsRadio is the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's national radio network providing continuous news and information 24 hours a day).
The present ABC News Radio frequencies are listed at
http://www.abc.net.au/newsradio/listen/frequencies.htm
73, Gary Deacon, Fish Hoek, Cape Peninsula, South Africa,
www.capedx.blogspot.com via dxld yg (27/6-2010)

AUSTRALIA
Dear Glenn, I trust this finds you well. Just to inform you that a test transmission from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation was heard at Fish Hoek this week.
The transmission is being broadcast from Busselton WA on 1152 kHz and is a new proposed ABC News Radio service for the Bunbury-Busselton area.
A loop of the following pre-recorded announcement by ABC News Radio Breakfast announcer Glen Bartholomew was heard over a music bed :

" ... Hi. I'm Glen Bartholomew, breakfast presenter with ABC News Radio and this is a test transmission for ABC News Radio in the Bunbury-Busselton area on 1152 AM. If you think this test transmission is interfering with other broadcasts please contact the ABC's Reception Advice Line on 1300 13 9994 - that's 1300 13 9994.
ABC News Radio will commence broadcasting on this frequency once the test transmission is complete. If you would like to know more about ABC News Radio, why not visit our website athttp://abc.net.au/newsradio
Thanks for listening and make sure you spread the news..."

An audio clip of the announcement heard at Fish Hoek during the evening of the 23rd June 2010 is available here http://www.box.net/shared/ilm7ed2y2p
The test transmission, heard via the Sony SRF-M37V and 220 metre BOG directed towards Perth WA, was verified this morning by ABC Master Control.
73, Gary Deacon, Fish Hoek, Cape Peninsula, South Africa,
http://www.capedx.blogspot.com via DX LISTENING DIGEST yg (25/6-2010)

AUSTRALIA
3ABN Busselton, Western Australia on 1629 kHz.

An update from a recent QSL received is that 3ABN (Three Angels broadcasting Network) Australia is broadcasting from just north of Busselton WA on the AM expanded band
frequency of 1629 kHz. The station commenced broadcasting on 1629 kHz on January 7th 2010. They also plan to broadcast from the Perth metro area on the same frequency.

"Hi Gary, Thank you for your interesting email. I have checked out your blog as well as the 3ABN Radio program schedule for the times you stated and can verify that the programs were aired at the times you said. It is very good for us to know our signal was reaching so far across the ocean. It is amazing how far signals can travel when the conditions are right!

The rebroadcast of the 3ABN Radio signal from 1629AM in Busselton, Western Australia only commenced on January 7, 2010. We have another station to build in Perth itself and it will be the same frequency as Busselton. However, due to the location being in the metro area we will be having to use a different aerial set up and we don’t think it will travel as far as Busselton. There we have a 30m antenna with a 30m ground mat. We are download[ing] the signal from satellite (Optus D2) and use a 1 kW Blythe transmitter. We will also be using a Blythe in Perth once we have secured a site.

3ABN Australia is part of the world wide ministry of 3ABN (Three Angels broadcasting Network) situated in southern Illinois, USA, and looks after the ministries work in Australia and New Zealand. 3ABN is a Christian broadcasting network which includes TV, radio, books, and music. It can be viewed around the world on satellite and the internet, and in many places, on cable TV.

My husband, John, and I have been running 3ABN Australia from Western Australia since 2003. But last month we relocated our operations to the east coast, 1 1/2 hours north of Sydney. We plan to build a new studio and head quarters, including a radio studio where we can make local content which can be aired around the world as well as in this area.

I have attached a letter of confirmation for your records. I will pass your email on to 3ABN Radio USA as they would be very pleased to hear your report. Regards,

Rosemary Malkiewycz
3ABN Australia Inc
PO Box 752
Morisset, NSW, 2264"

Details of the recent reception (including an audio clip of the 400 watt signal which made it through over a distance of  8 500 km to Betty's Bay, South Africa) is available at
http://www.capedx.blogspot.com
73, Gary Deacon, Fish Hoek, Cape Peninsula, South Africa, April 18, DXLD 10-16 (22/4-2010)

AUSTRALIA
1323 khz new station in Australia. Just heard that the new 2KIX transmitter now on air as of 0400UTC 30/1/10 on air Canberra 400 watts of power on/off as testing as required by
the authorities for interference etc...for a full week.
John Wright, Australian Radio DX Club via hcdx via mwcircle yg (30/1-2010)

AUSTRALIA
Broken Hill 1656 The Axe: Graham Dawe in Broken Hill advises the following for 1656 that recently started transmission on 1656 khz about 50 watts into a trap dipole by the looks of
things...Graham visited the station today. Hype FM 87.6 is the sister station.
Address is 622 Beryl St, Broken Hill 2880 NSW Australia.
Johno, mwoz yg (6/10-2009)
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AUSTRIA
Wien MW transmitter to be demolished -- live on TV.
The demolition will take place on Wednesday, Feb 24. The 1476 kHz mast will be blown up at about 1100 UT, the 585 kHz mast at about 1400 UT.
Both demolitions will be broadcast live (starting at 1050 and 1350, respectively) by TW 1, which is available free-to-air via 19.2 deg. East on Astra 1H, 12.663 GHz h.
http://blog.ors.at/stories/abtragung-der-masten-am-bisamberg/
Some background info:
Transmissions from this site, on 1476 kHz, ceased on 31 Dec 2008 at 2310 UT. At this point it was planned to blow up only the 265 m tall "Nordmast" (northern mast), once used for the 585 kHz outlet that is silent for almost two decades now. The 120 m "Südmast" for 1476 kHz was supposed to be kept, and Österreichische Rundfunksender GmbH told
ADXB-OE that the frequency would still be available for interested broadcasters. But now they dump this option definitely.
http://wien.orf.at/stories/417899/
http://www.wabweb.net/radio/sender/bisamberg2005.htm
http://radiomuseum.heim.at/index-Dateien/Page541.htm
Kai Ludwig via dxld yg (23/2-2010)

AUSTRIA
The complete antenna array of the Wien-Bisamberg mediumwave site will be demolished at the end of February. So far it is not known what will happen with the grounds. The transmitter building is under preservation order.
http://wien.orf.at/stories/417899/

Transmissions from this site, on 1476 kHz, ceased on 31 Dec 2008 at 2310 UT. At this point it was planned to blow up only the 265 m tall "Nordmast" (northern mast), once used for the 585 kHz outlet that is silent for almost two decades now. The 120 m "Südmast" for 1476 kHz was supposed to be kept, and Österreichische Rundfunksender GmbH told
ADXB-OE that the frequency would still be available for interested broadcasters. But now they dump this option definitely.
Some photos of the antenna array:
http://www.wabweb.net/radio/sender/bisamberg2005.htm

More photos, also of the old tube transmitters, with a link to an even larger photo collection that includes also a shot of the Thomson M2W transmitter that had been used during the last years of operation:
http://radiomuseum.heim.at/index-Dateien/Page541.htm

This development makes the Moosbrunn site the only operational AM transmission facility in Austria. (AM in the German meaning, technically correct covering all amplitude-modulated broadcasting, also dubbed "LMK".)
Kai Ludwig via dxld yg (25/1-2010)

AUSTRIA
Hello. I am a MW DXer from Japan. I am always referring to your homepage for my DXing. I heard TWR on 1377kHz at 18 00 U.T.C August 28. This TWR broadcasting had the IS at 18:09 and 18:24. Do you hear this TWR broadcasting? Will you understand the place to where this TWR broadcasting transmits? Thanks
Keiji Horiba, Japan
It could be the Middle East-beamed program on new 1377 kHz from a transmitter in Austria. Exact site is unknown to me. At the time you listened in, the language used was Farsi, according to WRTH update. Check it out here http://www.wrth.com/files/WRTHA05updateJuly2005.pdf 
Hope this information will be of some help for you.
Ydun Ritz, editor Mediumwave.Info (28/8-2005)
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