PORTUGAL
Rádio Comercial
L.P.: it seems some details here reveal some black humour joke or then witness a ressurection from the dead ! Their Techn. Dir., Eng. Pinto Ventura, actually passed away more than year ago!
Avanca 783 kHz 100 kW was dropped
Belmonte (Benavente) 1035 kHz 100 kW is only nominal, 1/3 of the power is used, a note on this might well be useful, but there's none.
Their other 9 [silent] MW outlets should be mentioned, and explained why they aren't used.
History:
The stn owner actually keeps the licences on every single fq.
Carlos Goncalves (10/12-2010)
PORTUGAL
1035 Star FM, Belmonte (Benavente)... a new station? No, just another MCR [stn owner] fantasy on the air; this happens to be the new ID of a new (...) stn that, following a mid JUL'10 announcement by MCR, would "soon" replace the former Radio Club Portugues. I first heard them using this ID this monday, the 22nd. As far as I can hear, the format was kept pretty much the same, i.e. an oldies stn, but they reported to me a week ago, that more talks were planned for the slightly new format under this new name. Now, why bother to change, and why on earth a silly foreign name?
Stn names using the format "radio club X" are already silly enough as they may suggest there is actually a club of some sort behind it!
Carlos Goncalves, Portugal (24/11-2010)
PORTUGAL
mainland, 1584 R. Altitude, Guarda, 1 kW, est. 1948, www.altitude.fm In a recent call to the stn, once more, no information whatsoever was obtained on whether their MW outlet is already active, or was terminated, which is most probably the case! The typical reply to this question by anyone answering the phone at RA always shows their MW operation is kept under a cloak of [silly, even stupid I'd dare say] secrecy, and that any questions about it should be addressed to the stn director... my own experience after talking with him several times tells me he is also keen in avoiding this issue...
So the more important or bigger the stn is, the more information you [easily] get; it simply goes the other way round when it comes to petty, sorry, small [MW] stns here, here on mainland or in the islands.
Carlos Goncalves, Portugal (18/9-2010)
PORTUGAL
1035 R.Club Português, Belmonte (Benavente) (+ a few VHF-FM fqs too) has changed its format, and is broadcasting Portuguese & foreign music from the 60s & 70 since approx. mid July. Just yesterday, 30/7 when this tx was off once again, I got the information this current format is only temporary, and it is almost certain it will change a bit (again!!!), but my contact added it should remain an oldies stn nevertheless. Current power level of their
100 kW THALES tx at Belmonte is about 1/3 due to budgetary limitations.
783 ditto, Avanca (Estarreja, near Aveiro), is stuck, probably for good as the vandalism that stroke this unmanned site back in early 2010 - which could have been solved with minor repairs on the copper elements that were stolen - met another break in causing extensive damage to the 100 kW THALES tx. My contact reported the administration is simply unwilling to spend lots of money with it, so it remains silent, and has been silent ever since everything was put in place and tested in order to be finally switched on
parallel to 1035.
Carlos Goncalves POR (31/7-2010)
PORTUGAL
Here's an update on RCP-R.Club Português http://radioclube.clix.pt/ on 1035 & 783 kHz. This is owned by MCR http://mcr.clix.pt/index.asp
1035 Belmonte 100 kW
The situation of irregularity seems to have been cured at last (!), and the Thales/Thomcast 100 kW tx is now running normally, but the technicians were instructed to leave it at just 50 kW after a very brief period of tests ran at full power. This site (and the Avanca one) includes a backup generator, but not a 2nd tx.
783 Avanca 100 kW
Both the Thomcast/Thales team and the stn team were unable to put it to work back in October after the check of the twin unit near Lisboa simply because the tx tuning circuit was part damaged, part stollen, so it will take a bit of time until the new pieces arrive, are installed and tested. The perpetrators were obviously looking for copper, and did manage to steal some. The nearby ATU, which also houses parts in copper, was left intact though.
Carlos Goncalves (7/12-2009)
PORTUGAL
783 R. Club, Avanca, is (finally!) expected to be on the air very soon, possibly mid / end Oct'09. This site was made ready back in 2007 (!), and comprises a 100 kW, DRM compatible, THALES tx and a Spanish made 60 m folded monopole. The DRM compatibility just means either tx (see below) would need some extra [expensive] modifications the owner is simply not willing to meet.
Also acc. to the stn, the continued break downs of the "twin brother" tx used on 1035 kHz (Belmonte, near Lisbon), lead to an agreement with the manufacturer whereby it will be their own pepole who'll be activating the Avanca unit, which will take place after the THOMSON team checks the Belmonte site.
It is almost obvious that MCR - the group owning RCP as well as other [VHF-FM only] stns like R.Comercial - may not feel that happy with the quality of those Thales (now Thomson) txs which, nevertheless, are simply not expected to be run at full power either; I was told the power level will almost surely be just a bit above the level of the active, albeit irregular,
unit for 1035, i.e. something in the 30 kW range in order to step down the electricity bill.
Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal (30/9-2009)
PORTUGAL
1035 RC(P), Belmonte, has finally resumed operation before end of May, but for some odd reason only the group [MCR] owning the stn must know, it was not until a few days afterwards that they switched the feed from R.Comercial, a natl. VHF-FM only network they hold, to RC(P) prgr. Whether that was an actual mistake or not I simply don't know. I can observe the DCC-dynamic carrier control of this 100 kW THALES tx is not activated yet,
and probably never was (!), and power is certainly not the nominal one, 100 kW; it is considerably less.
While that, their twin tx for 783 installed at Avanca, near Aveiro, is still off.
Carlos Goncalves, Portugal (5/6-2009)
PORTUGAL
1035 kHz 100 kW (nominal), typically at much less, maybe 10 kW, when active (it's deaf for weeks on end now) has its location as "Belmonte"; that's what I wrote in the WRTH and that's what you'll find in www.emwg.info, and is correct. The full name of the place though is Lugar de Belmonte, very near Sto Estevao
http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santo_Est%C3%AAv%C3%A3o_(Benavente) and eastwards of the old, wellknown site of Porto Alto, also within the Benavente municipality
http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benavente_(Portugal).
That stn name is Rádio Club, owned by MCR Média Capital Rádio
http://mcr.clix.pt/index.asp, and the above site GCs are 38º 52' 15.35" N 08º 47' 03.81" W.
Carlos Goncalves (17/4-2009)
PORTUGAL
À propos R.Renanscença leaving MW, it's not as reported.
"Rádio Sim" is nothing but a brand, a new name for the MW-only RR channel; it's apparently aimed at listeners aged 50 & up.
73, Carlos Goncalves (10/8-2008)
PORTUGAL
783 Canidelo 10 kW (just nominal, in vy. poor shape & barely heard) --- finally taken out of sce. days ago ---
This site was in leased municipal ground and has been returned to the owner after MCR discontinued the site.
783 Breja, Avanca (Estarreja municipality) RCP 100 kW tx is to be reactived vy. soon now as I learned today 28/9 from the stn itself.
The parallel RCP 100 kW tx 1035 Belmonte (Benavente municipality) continues w/ frequent breakdowns.
73, Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal (28/9-2007)
PORTUGAL
594 kHz 100 kW (nominal power) Muge site.
Rádio Renascença is silent for weeks due to maintenance works in its 265 m tower; the stn reported to me that normal operation is expected to be resume by end September / early October next. The works include replacement of many parts incl. the guywires and a new coat painting. This tower is easily located via GoogleEarth.
Carlos Gonçalves (5/8-2007)
PORTUGAL
720 kHz 10 kW RDP Santa Maria / Meia Légua, Faro, Algarve province Location of the just 59 m hight tower is right to the east of Faro city, between road nº 125 and the shore. The modest hight is compensated by means of a top fed capacitive circuit which I suppose consists of a few guywire-like wires sloping from the top downwards to the farthest guywires concrete anchors. I suspect this was a modification of the earlier (higher) tower because it's near the airport, westwards of Faro but haven't got any confirmation of this from the RDP yet. Like other RDP MW txs, the signal is received via satellite thus exhibiting a delay relative to the parallel VHF-FM network. This one is easily spotted in GoogleEarth.
Carlos Gonçalves (5/8-2007)
PORTUGAL
783 kHz 100 kW Avanca site.
It's been a whole year since the MCR-Média Capital Rádio group failed finally start this new site thus replacing Canidelo (south of Porto) 10 kW.
The stn of the group that is now on MW too is no more R.Nacional but RC(P)-Rádio Club Português once again; its format music stn format was dropped months ago and it became a discussion / news stn. This Avanca tower includes several wires hung from the top thus allowing the stn to adjust radiation to the azimuths of interest.
Carlos Gonçalves (5/8-2007)
PORTUGAL
891 kHz 10 kW (formerly 2x10 kW) Vilamoura (also written Vila Moura) site.
Rádio Renascença's tower is located westwards and vy. near Vilamoura's marina, near the shoreline. I estimate it's a 1/4 wavelenghth type, so 84 m.
Carlos Gonçalves (5/8-2007)
PORTUGAL
Média Capital Rádio MW freqs. of 783 Canidelo 10 kW & 1035 Belmonte 100 kW. The announced new format of talk/news stn for September didn't materialize after all; the stn identified as "R.Nacional" returned from the dead after the 10th July last as already reported by me, and the music they air is Portuguese only (no problem about that), the 1035 kHz tx problems continue, the new 100 kW Avanca tx for 783 is taking its time, so instead of taking
the air in Summer, 2006, maybe in 2007..., I don't know. While that, the Canidelo tx is a lament... vy. weak modulation. Last but not least, the MCR group decided to pump one of its local stns, viz. Foxx FM, into the MW txs for a few days' time last week, but by this past Sat. however, R.Nacional was back, alive & kicking!
Frankly, Monty Pythons Flying Circus - or the good old Mr. Bean! - are a lot more interesting and funnier too! MCR strenuous efforts for being funny or sad are in vain.
Then, why not?, one could perhaps suggest them airing the several local stns owned by MCR in turns, I mean, one on each day of the week: Classe FM, Romântica FM, Best Rock FM, Foxx FM, Mix FM, Cidade FM and MFM, leaving R.Comercial on VHF-FM alone.
73, Carlos Goncalves, Portugal (16/10-2006)
PORTUGAL
Rádio Renascença, Vila Moura (or Vilamoura) site, 891 kHz 2x10 kW. Acc. to an info. from RR itself, just one 10 kW unit is being used for years while the other twin tx is being kept for spares, so actual power is 10 only.
Rádio Renascença, Seixal 963 kHz 10 kW (1 kW reserve). This unmanned site uses a 70 m high tower and GC are most certainly 38º38'19.63 N and 9º05'16.78" W (Google Earth) (awaiting stn confirmation). The site, so near the river, explains the better performance nationwide as compared to Muge 594 kHz 100 kW (nominal; typicall 60~80 kW; reserves: 2x10 kW) whose location is on sandy soil.
Carlos Gonçalves (5/9-2006)
PORTUGAL
1035 kHz 100 kW Belmonte & Canidelo 783 kHz 10 kW of R.Comercial/R.Club(Português) finally dropped the temporary ID "R.Portugal" on the 10th inst., as announced, because the f/ball world cup ended on that date. However, instead of resuming RC(P) programming, they're putting a diff. prgr... under the defunct ID of "Rádio Nacional"!... The good thing is that the VHF-FM network carried on with RC(P) prgr during the World Cup, and still does, so I think "R.Nacional" is something to be shortlived until September, when the stn is, as I reported weeks ago, to become a news/talk radio.
As I feared, the name "Rádio Portugal" was lauched by the group, and, apparently, the RDP didn't succeed in putting an end to it before the "panem et circenses" show in Germany ended meaning MCR managed to go ahead with that name.
To this date, the new site of Avanca 783 kHz 100 kW is not operational yet, though the antenna is already in place. It consists of a lattice tower with several vertical elements around it. The hut housing the coupling circuit is ready, but the transmission line is not to be seen yet. At any rate the estimated start of this new site is this Summer.
Carlos Gonçalves (13/07-2006)
PORTUGAL
Rádio Club Português* to become a news station as from September, 2006. Acc. to the news at www.diariodigital.sapo.pt/news.asp?section_id=468&id_news=233028 the new stn pattern in September will start by introducing continuous newsreels during the morning period only.
*) RCP was a music stn airing mainly oldies. Just a few months ago, that changed a bit when the owners introduced talk prgrs when the stn began identifying solely as "Rádio Club." If the plans go ahead, then RC(P) will be competing with news stn TSF, a VHF-FM local stn in Lisboa whose prgs are relayed continuously by the Northern Network (cf. WRTH) and by a few other local VHF-FM stns on southern mainland & in the Açores and Madeira during a few hrs daily.
On MW, it's aired via R.Comercia txs: Belmonte 1035 kHz 100 kW (prone to problems) and Canidelo 783 kHz 10 kW (to be replaced by Avanca, Estarreja, 100 kW, this Summer). Both 100 kW units are Thales and DRM capable.
73, Carlos Gonçalves (24/6-2006)
PORTUGAL
Rádio Renascença uses HARRIS txs at least at the sites of Seixal 963 kHz (near Lisbon) 10 kW (reserve 1 kW) and at Muge 594 kHz 100 kW (reserve 2x10 kW) + HF 100 kW.
The normal output at Muge is said to be in the 60-80 kW range only while, and sometimes just one stand by unit is used. The MW tower is 265 m high, mounted on a predominantely sandy soil, pretty much like the one at the former RFE/RL site at Glória do Ribatejo some km to the south.
For some days' time, the 100 kW unit at Muge was radiating two images on 738 & 450 kHz, then it was taken off service for some reason, but one of activated 10 kW stand by units, currently at just 8 kW, is also radiating images, viz. some 24 kHz on either side of the fundamental QRG.
The (smaller) Seixal tower is mounted on a place so close to River Tagus, that the path from the tx hut gets flooded during the high tide, which greatly explains why the thus enhanced signal on 963 kHz is so good far beyond its intended coverage area, like for instance the Algarve province west coast.
Seixal is nearly 14 km away from my place here in the capital, but I still manage to DX on 963, even if only E, FIN and TUN were the only countries logged so far.
Carlos Goncalves (9/6-2006)
PORTUGAL
Despite the info. obtained from the MCR group stns R.Comercial/R.Club(Português)/"R.Portugal" the other day about having actually registered the "brand" "Rádio Portugal" for its temporary b/casts* till the end of the World F/ball Cup in Germany, the RDP has just confirmed to me both "RDPi [internacional] - Rádio Portugal" & "RDP - R.Portugal" were in fact subject to an international registration after all.
Consequentely, the RDP Legal Dept. is evaluating the situation so as to put an end to Média Capital Rádio's use of that name albeit temporarily. I hope they succeed and put an end to the abbuse!
*) via R.Comercial/RC(P) MW txs of Canidelo 783 kHz 10 kW & Belmonte 1035 kHz 100 kW; as also reported in previous mssgs., Canidelo is to be replaced by new site Avanca 100 kW some time during June, i.e. if everything runs as expected.
It's sad that it takes legalities to solve a matter which shouldn't be supposed to trigger off such a mess. RDPi-R.Portugal or simply R.Portugal is known internationally for a very long time, especially the latter name, which dates back from the time when "RDP" was called Emissora Nacional de Radiodifusão.
Best 73, Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal (31/5-2006)
PORTUGAL
(Cf. my previous msgs. dtd 10th & 15th inst. on this issue) The group holding R.Comercial & its sister stns, among which RC(P)-R. Club (Português) - currently off MW to make way for this temporary "football stn" called R.Portugal - is indeed considering the use of DRM after all, be it with any of the new 100 kW THALES txs or the new ones for the sites that are off for years, but the latter will have to wait. Those idle txs are indeed no more: they were taken to scrap soon after the RDP sold R.Comercial and the period when the txs could still be housed together with those of the RDP; when the period went to an end, RC decided to get rid of them.
I also learned these new DRM-capable 100 kW units (one installed in Belmonte for 1035 kHz, the other expected to take the air within a month, at Avanca for 783 kHz) were delivered... five (5) years ago!!! Let's hope the one for Avanca hasn't got any moths...
Meanwhile, I've observed that Belmonte 1035 kHz is behaving rather strangely after some repair was done days ago: the tx is at approx. mid power and its DCC-Dynamic Carrier Control system is causing the signal to rapidly fluctuate like under fast QSB, which is what notice. Having said that, the tx is not fully "cured" yet. Interesting...
Until the crumbling Canidelo unit on 783 kHz 10 kW is scrapped for good, a new valve is being installed, possibly because of the temporary special programming content aired under the odd label "R.Portugal"...
... speaking of which, I was also told this name was registered just a few years ago along with others to be used by the group when needed, so there's apparently nothing the state owned RDP can do to remedy that as "RDPi - Rádio Portugal" doesn't seem to be a registered name.
Best regards, Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal (26/5-2006)
PORTUGAL
Despite the info. obtained from the MCR group stns R.Comercial/R.Club(Português)/"R.Portugal" the other day about having actually registered the "brand" "Rádio Portugal" for its temporary b/casts* till the end of the World F/ball Cup in Germany, the RDP has just confirmed to me both "RDPi [internacional] - Rádio Portugal" & "RDP - R.Portugal" were in fact subject to an international registration after all.
Consequentely, the RDP Legal Dept. is evaluating the situation so as to put an end to Média Capital Rádio's use of that name albeit temporarily. I hope they succeed and put an end to the abbuse!
*) via R.Comercial/RC(P) MW txs of Canidelo 783 kHz 10 kW & Belmonte 1035 kHz 100 kW; as also reported in previous mssgs., Canidelo is to be replaced by new site Avanca 100 kW some time during June, i.e. if everything runs as expected.
It's sad that it takes legalities to solve a matter which shouldn't be supposed to trigger off such a mess. RDPi-R.Portugal or simply R.Portugal is known internationally for a very long time, especially the latter name, which dates back from the time when "RDP" was called Emissora Nacional de Radiodifusão.
Best 73, Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal (31/5-2006)
PORTUGAL
(Cf. my previous msgs. dtd 10th & 15th inst. on this issue) The group holding R.Comercial & its sister stns, among which RC(P)-R. Club (Português) - currently off MW to make way for this temporary "football stn" called R.Portugal - is indeed considering the use of DRM after all, be it with any of the new 100 kW THALES txs or the new ones for the sites that are off for years, but the latter will have to wait. Those idle txs are indeed no more: they were taken to scrap soon after the RDP sold R.Comercial and the period when the txs could still be housed together with those of the RDP; when the period went to an end, RC decided to get rid of them.
I also learned these new DRM-capable 100 kW units (one installed in Belmonte for 1035 kHz, the other expected to take the air within a month, at Avanca for 783 kHz) were delivered... five (5) years ago!!! Let's hope the one for Avanca hasn't got any moths...
Meanwhile, I've observed that Belmonte 1035 kHz is behaving rather strangely after some repair was done days ago: the tx is at approx. mid power and its DCC-Dynamic Carrier Control system is causing the signal to rapidly fluctuate like under fast QSB, which is what notice. Having said that, the tx is not fully "cured" yet. Interesting...
Until the crumbling Canidelo unit on 783 kHz 10 kW is scrapped for good, a new valve is being installed, possibly because of the temporary special programming content aired under the odd label "R.Portugal"...
... speaking of which, I was also told this name was registered just a few years ago along with others to be used by the group when needed, so there's apparently nothing the state owned RDP can do to remedy that as "RDPi - Rádio Portugal" doesn't seem to be a registered name.
Best regards, Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal (26/5-2006)
PORTUGAL
Report on R.Club Português via R.Comercial MW txs.
783 kHz 100 kW new site at Avanca (munic. of Estarreja), ex-Canidelo 10 kW. This THALES tx, also DRM capable, is expected to be on the air by the next Summer, if the already delayed installation process runs as expected.
The town of Estarreja is some 50 km southwards to the former tx site of Canidelo, which in turn is close to what we call "the northern capital", i.e. Porto. For home coverage purposes, I estimate the new location is a lot more adequate than the old one, which is still being used, but acc. to the stn explanation, the criteria was mostly upon availability of space required for such an installation.
The flat land around and the distance to the ocean will hopefully make this new tx a TA DX target... while also turning reception of co-ch Mauritania 50 kW somewhat tough, hi! Let's see what my K9AYs can do about that.
1035 kHz 100 kW Belmonte (Benavente municipality) is off for quite a number of days due to a major problem, and the stn is awaiting spares from the Swiss manufacturer THALES. The antenna is a 120 m tower. As reported by me months ago, this new site, albeit a short distance from the old one at Porto Alto, commenced serviced back in mid Spring, 2005.
Acc. to the stn owner, the group doesn't intend to reactivate the other assigned freqs., at least in the next future: 9 sites using 558 (1), 828 (5) and 1170 kHz (3). I believe the stn still have the txs, but not the the places where to install them in the assigned locations.
73, Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal (10/5-2006)
PORTUGAL
Rádio Club Português - which is aired on MW 1035 kHz 100 kW Belmonte [Benavente] & 783 kHz 10 kW Canidelo, the sole two active R.Comercial txs - has partly changed its name (and emblem). While retaining "RCP" on its much modified logo, the ID on the air is solely "Rádio Club" (stn sl. "o clube de quem sabe"), and the jingles changed a lot too, as if a completely different were heard. While logging onto www.rcp.clix.pt still works, the webpage, however, automatically changes "rcp" into "radioclube".
Although the stn claims the only changes, which took place some time this past week, do regard the image of the product called "RCP, I suspect more is due to come in the near future.
At least on this past Sat. & Sun. the 1035 kHz stn was inactive, while the Canidelo tx is still very hard to receive, almost certainly, as I reported, due to the ageing tx and the fact that the new one isn't installed yet. If the Tartuskoe Semeinoe R. (=Family Radio), Tartu, Estonia, is to use 200 kW instead of just 50 kW, as announced, then I'm sure there will be some QRM in between.
73, Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal (6/3-2006)
Have noticed the 'new look' of the RCP website (my favourite www-station :-) ymr
PORTUGAL
Good evening all!
Rádio club Português or R.Comercial on MW... the mystery seems to be solved as someone from the group finally answered, explaining the RC is actually being fed into the MW txs as per the sched. below.
de 2ª a 6ªf....... Mo-Fri
1º período - 11h / 11h20
2º período - 21h / 21h40
Sábado e Domingo.......Sat+Sun
1º período - 7h / 7h20
2º período - 21 / 21h40
... and solely during the presidencial election campaign period, which runs till the 20th inst.
Really odd, but, fortunately at least, no RC on MW, just RCP back to normal as from the 21st inst. onwards. However, getting so different infos. from the stn still remains an odd thing, and can be infuriating as one's being misinformed and unwillingly misinforming too!
73, Carlos Gonçalves (9/1-2006)
PORTUGAL
Further to my y/day's rpt., I really don't know what to say... or what to think about all this. Today, Sunday, at 1200, 1035 kHz was again (and still is as I write, 1905), airing R.Club Português. At 1215, I phoned R.Comercial again, and this other technician was not aware of what happened, which gives a poor image of how the stn seems to work these days, to say the least... or then the chap who took over the following shift thought that something was wrong (?) and decided to feed RCP into the RC MW txs again. With no responsible figure to ask for an accurate info., I'd say the stn is cutting itself a poor figure... Unlike the RDP or even R.Renascença, R.Comercial & its sister stns is being noted not to be at ease when it comes to ask for data on them, which is... silly, to put it politely.
73, Carlos Gonçalves (8/1-2006)
PORTUGAL
RCP-Rádio Club Português via R.Comercial 1035 kHz 100 kW Belmonte (Benavente) & 783 kHz 10 kW Canidelo (near Porto) is gone. We stumbled on R.Comercial normal prgr on 1035 kHz only this evening, and after a phone call to RC, I learned the changes occured some time (surely late) this week stemming from a radio authority (ANACOM) note claiming RC txs can only air RC prgrs. Curiously, another "product" from the RC group (Média Capital), viz. the defunct R.Nacional, was aired via RC MW txs for a few years' time. He also informed a 2nd tx (probably 50 kW or even 100 kW) was also commissioned and intended for Canidelo, but it's not operational yet. Unfortunately, the RCP can only be listened to via VHF-FM & internet. Média Capital is owned by the Spanish group PRISA, RTLuxembourg and a Port. shareholder. Whether this notification by ANACOM was to adequately prevent the use of the MW txs for some foreign relay (RTL does them) I don't know, but that wouldn't be too surprising.
Carlos Gonçalves POR (8/1-2006)
PORTUGAL
R.Comercial & its sister stns - among which Rádio Club Português, available for some months' time through R.Comercial's active MW outlets (*) - is to become controlled in a substancial part by Spanish media co. PRISA-Promotora de Informaciones, S.A., which already operates both in our neighbouring country and abroad, mainly LAmerica. Acc. to tv news this evening, PRISA's main interest in R.Comercial's owner co., MEDIA CAPITAL, will focuse at both this radio stn group and sister tv stn TVI, not Media Capital's publications or "IOL", the company's ISP, which, curiously, was recently dropped in favour of CLIX (see web addrs. below). And in radio, it seems one of their plans is to create a news stn, which is simply not the present case, the "style" of any of the radio stns concerned (**)... so w/o wishing to speculate, maybe the MW scene of R.Comercial is again to change, possibly with the reactivation of its other outlets, idle for years since the stn was sold to privates by the RDP.
*) 783 kHz 10 kW Canidelo (that's the theoretical power; the stn is very badly heard down here in Lisbon)
1035 kHz Belmonte (near Benavente) 100 kW (new site & new tx) (this fq is silent on occasions)
**) R.Comercial >> VHF-FM network on mainland www.radiocomercial.clix.pt
local stn Best Rock FM >> 7 txs on mainland www.bestrockfm.clix.pt
local stn Cidade FM >> 4 txs on mainland www.cidadefm.clix.pt
RCP-Rádio Club Português (#) > VHF-FM network on mailand + via R.Comercial MW txs www.rcp.clix.pt
#) formerly R.Nostalgia, another music stn of MEDIA CAPITAL, but available via the web only www.cotonete.clix.pt/radios/online/nostalgia/asp
73, Carlos Gonçalves (7/11-2005)
PORTUGAL
I notice R.Comercial's MW tx at Porto Alto 1035 kHz 100 kW is putting an unusually good, punching audio for a few months' time... and finally decided to get in touch with the right person and learn what is going on, incl. their long halted future plans for MW. This individual wasn't available, but his assistant did provide interesting info, unlikely what happened with their headoffice colleagues here in Lisboa.
So here it goes... the Porto Alto MW site was dismantled (I knew for years that would happen in the near future) and a brand new 100 kW (presumably DRM capable) was installed in this new site at Belmonte, very near Benavente, approx. 9 km NE (in straight line) of the previous site.
As far as I can recall what I was once told by RARET, the co. operating RFE/RL here, their HF rx site was very close to Benavente. Back in 1997 I think, a new 100 kW tx was indeed planned for P.Alto + 100 kW for Canidelo and 10 kW for Faro, in the Algarve province.
The ID you'll hear via R.Comercial's MW txs is, however, "Rádio Club Português" - not the original, the old RCP, but simply the name applied to a music stn that's also carried via the officially called "southern VHF-FM network", granted to Rádio Regional de Lisboa, S.A. (owned by the same group that, among other things, includes R.Comercial and the priv. comm. tv stn TVI, keen to broadcast quite a few bad taste tv shows by the way).
I also enquired about the state of their northern MW site of Canidelo (not Miramar: sry., WRTH people and readers) 783 kHz 10 kW... things are unchanged there. So in sum the stn is currently just via Canidelo 783 kHz 10 kW place near Miramar, both south of Porto Benavente 1035 khz 100 kW place NE of the capital.
The radio authority ANACOM's (www.anacom.pt) webpage is still showing the full list of licensed MW chs for R.Comercial as if they were all alive.
Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal (29/9-2005)
PORTUGAL
The group (called Média Capital Rádio) holding several publications but also and chiefly TVI-Televisão Independente and Rádio Comercial (plus its affiliated stns like nationwide Rádio Club Português* and local stns Best Rock FM and Cidade FM) will probably change hands... rumours mentioned a Spanish BC company, then RTLuxembourg and more recently a Portuguese religious group which already owns stns in a few SoAm countries, incl. Brazil. Well, maybe they all end up owning the Média Capital Rádio, but I don't think the three could co-exist. I believe that, if they're sold, the new owner or ownwers will reactivate the other assigned MW sites & fqs.
*) RDP Replaced R.Nostalgia which were on VHF-FM only, and now uses R.Nostalgia's VHF network and the only active MW tr's of R.Comercial [783 kHz Canidelo 10 kW and 1035 kHz 100/120 kW Porto Alto], formerly used to air R.Comercial under the silly name of "Rádio Nacional" for some years, known to include some rlgs prgrs very much in the style of certain Brazilian stns or even R.Victoria, Lima, Peru.
I'm glad the group "Média Capital Rádio" dropped "R.Nacional" (back in March this year) and decided to use their MW for RCP, a music stn consisting of oldies, either domestic or foreign.
Carlos Gonçalves (6/9-2005)
PORTUGAL
R. Nacional was not using 1035 & 783 kHz all these years since 1976! The old Rádio Club Português was nationalised after the military coup in April, '74, and the stn outlets became RDP-3, which would remain as such from some years until this 3rd ch. of the RDP was renamed R.Comercial, with its own administration within the RDP itself, surely because it was RDP's only commercial ch., until it was finally sold to privates (in '94, I believe), who kept the name R.Comercial. By that time, RCP* did exist as a mere local FM stn near Lisboa, having nothing to do with the old RCP. As far as I can recall, RC was again sold, and it was this 2nd priv. owner who renamed the prgr via MW "R.Nacional" back in the late 90's... until the R.Comercial group decided to use their only 2 active MW sites to air RCP-R.Club Português* (formerly an FM-only network), back in April last I think. RCP (FM+MW), RC (on FM only), Best Rock (local FM) and Cidade FM (formerly Rádio Cidade) are, along with TVI-Televisão Independente - and not to mention several paper publications - all within the same media group, the "Grupo Media Capital." *) I suppose the other small local FM called RCP disappeared, or was bought, thence the possibility of using the old RCP name again.
Back in 1996 or '97, one of R.Comercial's plans was - acc. to what an engineer said to me - to reactivate their other 9 MW outlets (see WRTH '05, p. 324) because when the RDP sold R.Comercial, they kept working for some time within RDP's premises, but that stopped for RC did not build its own sites to install the txs, let alone the also planned refurbishing of the MW units bought from the RDP, which would have included a 100 kW tx at Canidelo (near Porto) (sry, in WRTH '05, I mistakenly listed neighbouring "Miramar", which is in fact for RDP 720 kHz 10 kW) 783 kHz, a new 100 kW at Porto Alto (NE of the capital) 1035 kHz and, I think, a 100 kW tx at Faro, Algarve's district & province capital, 558 kHz.
As a matter of fact, the MW sites near Porto are: Azurara (RDP, inactive, partly or totally dismantled; when used: 720 & 1062 kHz), near Vila do Conde, no. of Porto, Canidelo (formerly Emissores do Norte Reunidos, also nationalised in 1974, then RDP site, currently RCP/RC 783) and Miramar (formerly RCP in the old days, now RDP... it seems the RDP preferred to sold the Canidelo site instead of the Miramar one...), both very close to each other and so. of Porto.
Finally, the audio via 1035 kHz. It is indeed a lot better now than when they used to air the bl...dy pap under the name R.Nacional which in fact was nothing more than R.Comercial's ID on MW.
Carlos Gonçalves, Portugal (30/5-2005)
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