SCOTLAND
Radio stations share common voice.
Many familiar voices disappeared from Scotland's airwaves this week as a new practice of sharing programmes among radio stations took a step forward.
Quietly and with no fanfare, a revolution has taken place in Scottish commercial radio.
Listeners to Scotland's best-known medium wave (AM) stations - Clyde 2, Forth 2, Northsound 2, Tay AM and Westsound - may have been wondering where some of their favourite DJs have gone and why they are hearing, what, to them, may be unfamiliar voices.
The answer is that these stations have just undergone a massive shake-up, nprecedented in Scottish commercial radio.
The vast bulk of their programmes are being "pooled" - in other words shared with each other - and broadcast across Scotland.
This means that the medium wave (AM) local stations have almost become a Scottish national station in all but name.
Apart from the breakfast shows, news and traffic reports the bulk of programmes are now being heard across the country.
The practice - known as "networking" - has been common south of the border for some time.
Economic downturn.
Supporters argue it makes economic sense and that some listeners would rather hear a good programme broadcast across a group of stations than an average one broadcast locally.
While the owners of the stations, Bauer, have not said whether the move is about economics, the whole of the commercial media - radio, TV and newspapers - is suffering from the economic downturn. Advertising revenue has been falling.
Bauer said it "is constantly looking for new and creative ways to entertain listeners and the restructure of AM programming will allow the company to broadcast the best, most popular shows from across the network to a wider audience. "
The person in charge of the AM stations in Scotland is Ally Ballingall, boss of Radio Tay and well known to listeners in the area as Ally Bally. Ironically the changes mean he may now win fans in other parts of the country.
In a statement he said: "I am really delighted to be taking up this new challenge and am committed to bringing quality local programming to listeners across Scotland.
"Commercial radio in the UK today is more competitive today than ever, so my vision is to create stations which will be at the heart of the local community for many years to come. We are broadening listenership with new programmes which we are sure will delight audiences around the country."
Until five years ago, Scotland's long-established local radio stations were owned by Scottish Radio Holdings - a company which grew out of Radio Clyde, the first legal commercial station in the UK outside London to go on the air in 1973.
The company was bought over by publishing company Emap and then sold on to auer. Radio Clyde's first chief executive Jimmy (later Lord) Gordon always insisted the secret of successful local radio was its localness.
The idea that Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen or wherever the listeners lived was, as he once put it, at the centre of the universe.
It was about the accent of the DJ, the things they spoke about, even comments about the weather outside.
While the idea of networking programmes between local stations grew in popularity south of the border, it has only become commonplace in Scotland in recent months.
Bauer's FM stations - such as Clyde 1, Forth 1, Tay FM, Northsound 1, Radio Borders, West FM - share programmes from 7pm each evening.
Commercial sector.
Meanwhile rival stations such as Real and Smooth FM share some programmes, especially in the evenings, with their sister stations south of the border creating, critics argue, quasi-national networks.
The move appears to have caused little public concern so far, apart from a few newspaper stories about individual long-serving DJs being axed and with it the inevitable disappointment of their personal followers.
Indeed the challenges facing commercial radio - largely based on popular music and DJs - are unlikely to attract widespread political concern, unlike worries about the future of the newspaper industry or regional news on ITV.
Yet local radio in Scotland - other than local news - has been left to the commercial sector since the early 90s when the BBC closed services such as Radio Highland to concentrate its efforts on the main Radio Scotland service.
Some siren voices now wonder if truly local radio services in Scotland may increasingly be provided by tiny local stations, such as Lochbroom FM in the Highlands and Heartland FM in Perthshire.
Stations which serve small geographical areas and which are sometimes run as small businesses or community projects rather than money-making ventures. Only time will tell if the changes to Bauer's medium wave stations will be successful. But their transformation into a Scottish network in all but name marks the end of a chapter in the history of Scottish radio.
BBC News website (16/6-2009)
SCOTLAND
R. Scotland on 810kHz: Looks like the Scots have got their act (and delays) together. The time difference is now short enough that all one nears is an occasional 'speaking into a tin can' comb filter effect.
Reynir H. Stefánsson (30/1-2009)
SCOTLAND
There is a pre-echo on R. Scotland on 810kHz. Presumably, one transmitter is not getting a properly delayed signal.
(9/1-2009)
It seems to depend on signal strength if I hear the pre-echo or not. I'm guessing that R. Scotland has a main transmitter and some filler transmitters on 810 and that it's one of the fillers that a bit early.
(14/1-2009)
I estimate the time difference between early and late audio to be circa 0.3 seconds. The early signal seems to be dominant now for the most part. Sometimes the signals are of similar strength and then R. Scotland sounds like a 14-year-old pirate that's just bought an echo box.
Reynir H. Stefánsson, Neskaupstadur, Iceland (24/1-2009)
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SPAIN
Radio station EAJ25 is no more "Radio Tarrasa" (or Terrassa in Catalan language). Radio Tarrasa-SER Vallés was closed on January 30th and all its workers were fired. The station was owned by José Manuel Salillas who sold it in 2008 (with the FM Radio Club25, the TV station "canal TV20-Localia Vallès and the magazine "Terrassa Societat") to the KISS-FM group. After the Cadena SER decided not to renew the contract of association with the new owner (SER and KISS are direct competitors in the musical FM scene and a condition for membership is that the partner can not compete directly with the brands of the network and KISS-FM is doing it) KISS-FM. After the last broadcast as "Radio Tarrasa", the MW station (828 kHz) spent several days in an unstable situation ... sometimes switched on other off, sometimes relaying the SER satellite fed other the KISS-FM one. At the end, radio station EAJ25 has become a relay of the FM frequency of KISS-FM in Barcelona.
So, update your lists! 828 is no more "Radio Tarrasa" but "KISS-FM Barcelona" relay.
CÁCERES. EAK57 (900 MW) is no more "COPE-Cáceres" but "COPE-Alta Extremadura". "COPE-Cáceres" is reserved now for the FM outlet. "COPE-Alta Extremadura" focuses its programing in the North of the province specially in the economically atractive market of Plasencia (where there was a Radio Popular station in the 60´s EAK61)... and very suspiciously the 900 kHz signals has suffered a dramatic improvement in Plasencia city. Plasencia is @83 km. North of Cáceres city. The MW signals of RNE and (previously!) COPE were weak. RNE-1 774 the stronger and RNE-5 1107 the weakest. The last time I passed by the streets of Plasencia in the bus heading to Aldea del Cano (where my Perseus is) the scene was totally different: 900 AM with a LOCAL signal and RNE with the signal level expected... so I am suspecting that the Pirate´s ship is starting to cruise the Spanish (medium) waves also (in the FM there is little room already!).
73s Mauricio Molano, Salamanca via mwdx yg (1/5-2010)
SPAIN
From tomorrow Sep. 1st, the local news bulletin on RNE R5-TN stations will return to 09.15 local time (07.15 UTC). The duration does not change: 15 minutes.
Saludos, Mauricio Molano, Salamanca, Spain via mwdx (31/8-2009)
SPAIN
Biribilondo is the new tx. site for RNE and EITB in San Sebastián (province of Guipúzcoa, Basque Country, Spain). It consist in 4x50 Kw transmitters tetraplexed into the same antenna. It works on 558 (RNE-R5TN), 774 (RNE), 963 (R.Euskadi, Spanish lang.) and 1476 (Euskadi Irratia, Basque lang.). Note the interchanged frequencies of Radio Euskadi between San Sebatián and Vitoria (probably to meet the needs of the tretraplexer instaled in San Sebastián). This is the actual situation of the EITB stations:
Euskadi Irratia:
1197 EAJ162 Vitoria (Estíbaliz)
1386 EAJ362 Bilbao (Ganguren-Artxanda)
1476 EAJ562 San Sebastián (Biribilondo-Zubieta)
Radio Euskadi:
756 EAJ462 Bilbao (Ganguren-Artxanda)
819 EAJ262 Vitoria (Estíbaliz)
963 EAJ662 San Sebastián (Biribilondo-Zubieta)
Some more info and photo of the equipment in the site of the supplier, VIMESA:
http://www.vimesa.es/web/noticias/2009/03/Tetraplexor_OM_RNE/Noticia.shtm
Saludos! Mauricio Molano, Salamanca Spain via emwg (7/8-2009)
SPAIN
In San Sebastian, Euskadi Irratia has left 1161 kHz and is now transmitting on 1476 kHz.
The two French frequencies 1071 and 1161 kHz previously occupied by Euskadi Irratia (Bilbao and San Sebastian) are now free again. French autorities asked that to Spain since several years.
Later: On 1386 kHz, it's the transmitter of Bilbao, previously on 1071 kHz.
Greetings Michel, South-West France via emwg yg (20/7-2009)
SPAIN
Euskadi Irratia from San Sebastian has now moved to 1476 kHz. The station is audible here in Austria at 2205 UTC with talk in Basque language.
73, Patrick Robic (3/7-2009)
SPAIN
Euskadi Irratia on 1386: Excellent signal here. I found the signal for the first time on Thursday at 1925 UTC. Even better early in the morning until 0600 UTC.
I am a little bit sad about the loss of this free channel (24h operation)...
Karel Honzik, CZE via mwdx yg (19/6-2009)
SPAIN
ESP_Bilbao SER 990 / 1386 50kW /
R Euskadi EAJ462 756 25kW
R Euskadi Irratia EAJ 362 1071 50kW
43 16 10.03 N 02 53 35.77 W
Wolfgang Bueschel via mwdx yg (19/6-2009)
SPAIN
The planned tx in Bilbao / Ganguren (EITB) for Euskadi Irratia is in operation. Px in Basque language, O=3-4 in SE Germany. 50 kW?
73, Günter Lorenz, D-85354 Freising, RX: Perseus ANT: ALA1530+SSB via mwdx yg (18/6-2009)
SPAIN
Now I am hearing Euskadi Irratia on 1386. This should be the EAJ363 transmitter in Bilbao as recently registered at the ITU on this frequency (ex 1071). I am receiving the other two tx. in its usual freqs.: EAJ562 San Sebastián on 1161 (this one will move to 1476) and EAJ162 Vitoria on 1197.
Mauricio Molano, Salamanca Spain via mwdx yg (18/6-2009)
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SRI LANKA
Medium Wave Transmission from Sri Lanka
For clients wanting to be heard in Sri Lanka and southern India, a Medium Wave transmission is now available through WRN Broadcast.
The 50 kW transmitter represents a cost effective method of reaching local audiences in Sri Lanka during daytime and a far wider geographical area in the evenings and early morning. A free test can be provided to clients looking to trial the effectiveness of the transmitter prior to any formal agreement.
For more information, please contact the Sales Department on sales @ wrnbroadcast.com or call +44 20 7896 4026.
Source: Wired News from WRN Broadcast, September 2010 via Fleur Nittolo, WRN, dxld yg (9/9-2010)
WTFK? It`s difficult to find any MW frequencies among all the FM domestic broadcasting for SL in WRTH 2010. I do see one on 855 for SLBC, with 20 kW, reactivated, at Irattaperiyakulam with the Wanni service; what`s that? Searching WRTH info only in print is of course not practical.
The comprehensive Radio Stations in Sri Lanka, http://www.asiawaves.net/sri-lanka-radio.htm has everything in MHz except for kHz mentions of TWR 873 and 882; DW 1548 kHz, none of which are only 50 kW, but listed as 400 kW. It does not list 855.
Does WRN have a new MW transmitter there? Or is it one of these powered down, or up to 50?
Glenn Hauser, dxld yg (9/9-2010)
It is out of Puttalam, where the MW TWR programmes come from. 50 kW on 1125 kHz, Glenn.
Victor Goonetilleke, Sri Lanka, dxld yg (9/9-2010)
This one will be on 1125 kHz and was moved location and frequency from somewhere else in Sri Lanka. They say the installation will be completed next week and we can start to run tests.
WRN Broadcast, dxld yg (9/9-2010)
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SWEDEN
R Sweden Final Broadcast on AM 1179:
I first listened to this frequency back in 1969, on an old transistor radio. Many years ago I would have "QSL'ed" the contact, but 40 years on I wont be bothering. However, for the group....
Now operating a 25 yr old Trio R2000 with 80' wired dipole at 30' above ground.
Program content - Intro, News, Review, George Wood Special look back at the stations history at
1630 - 1700 GMT SINFO 23232 SIO 222
The final scheduled English transmission (2130-2200) was not in English. It sounded like Swedish, with TX leaving air at 21:59
2130 - 2200 GMT SINFO 44343 SIO 333
Keith, UK via dxld yg (31/10-2010)
SWEDEN
Sölvesborg 1179 kHz: The station is now aviable to hire airtime to private broadcasters.I'm now open to partners of starting up a new private station at the existing site with a private 50kW's TX at the same frequency.
Roy Sandgren (29/10-2010)
SWEDEN
The last broadcasting of Radio Sweden [1179 AM] will be saturday evening, last day of summertime in Europe.
Roy Sandgren (26/10-2010)
SWEDEN
Radio Sweden International will pay attention to the final transmissions during the Russian and English services on Sunday,October 31st, the final day of transmissions from Hörby shortwave and Sölvesborg mediumwave (1179 kHz) transmitters. There will be no attention in the Swedish language transmissions as it is only a relay of program 1. There will be more information later on the webpage of Radio Sweden International.
There will also be a funeral feast at Hörby transmitter centre after midnight local time on October 31st.
Elle-Kari Höjeberg, Radio Sweden International via Bengt Ericson (23/10-2010)
SWEDEN
This just to remind you, that Swedish Radio will close down AM-broadcast on 1179 kHz from Sölvesborg by end of October, 2010.
Ydun Ritz (16/9-2010)
SWEDEN
Mediumwave open to private radio in Sweden.
The new law of radio was voted this week in Sweden. Means that even the am-band is open to community radio, commerciall radio etc. in all bands below 30 MHz.Even the L-band is open to dab+ broadcasting without any criteria at all.90 areas it's open to dab+ and a licence from PTT only.
The new law active from 1 of august.New FM/AM/DAB+ comming up this year.
Roy Sandgren (17/6-2010)
SWEDEN
Radio Sweden is joining many other European broadcasters by closing down its transmissions on the mediumwave and shortwave bands. Broadcasts will end on October 31, 2010, and instead, Radio Sweden will continue to operate on the Internet. English-language service will continue to serve the domestic audience also on the FM band. Russian broadcasts will be available on the Internet just like German programs already are. Among the immigrant languages, Albanian, Assyrian-Syriac and Bosnian-Serbian-Croatian are to be terminated in the end of October. Meanwhile, Arabic and Somali - the largest immigrant language groups in Sweden - are to be boosted. The same applies to Romani, which is one of Sweden's five official minority languages. The Persian service is to include also Dari spoken by the rapidly increasing number of Afghan refugees coming to Sweden. Kurdish broadcasts remain unchanged. Swedish Radio's output in immigrant languages will be available on the web and nationwide on the FM band.
DXing.info (26/4-2010)
SWEDEN
2011 Radio Nord Revival: On April Fools' Day 2010, April 1 (of all days!) a meeting was held with representatives of the museum ship s/s St Erik in Stockholm. Göran Lindemark and myself presented our plans of an event RSL station on medium wave to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the start of Swedish offshore station Radio Nord next year. Our hosts were very interested in the project and as the ship is moored close to the centre of Stockholm, near the Vasa museum and the Gröna Lund amusement park it will be easily accessible. We intend to invite the veteran broadcasters of Radio Nord and naturally we hope to see as many Radio Nord listeners as possible visiting us.
Last year a book by Jan Kotschack, eldest son of the Radio Nord manager Jack S. Kotschack, entitled "Stick iväg, Jack", was published by Premium Publishing and we hope to have Jan on board signing his book during this event. The book is in Swedish but can be highly recommended also for non-Swedish speaking radio enthusiasts as the extensive picture gallery is well worth the price of the book.
Further updates will be published as the project advances and your suggestions and input will be highly welcome.
http://www.radionordrevival.blogspot.com/
Thanks to Harald Kuhl for drawing my attention to above event (8/4-2010)
SWEDEN
Radio Sweden will terminate its medium and short wave broadcasts this October 31st in favour of web services – with Swedish Radio management stating that is the best use of resources and in line with international trends.
The English-language service is to continue on the web and on national broadcasts.
The Russian output will be available on the web as is the German now.
Among the immigrant languages, Albanian, Assyrian-Syriac and Bosnian-Serbian-Croatian are to be terminated on the same date. Meanwhile, Arabic and Somali – the largest immigrant language groups here at present – are to be boosted. The same applies to Romani – one of Sweden’s five official minority languages.
The Persian service is to include even Dari spoken by the rapidly increasing number of Afghan refugees coming to Sweden. Kurdish broadcasts remain unchanged.
Swedish Radio’s output in immigrant languages will be available on the web and broadcast nationally.
Source:
http://www.sr.se/cgiin/International/nyhetssidor/artikel.asp?ProgramID
=2054&format=1&artikel=3562645 via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia, dxld yg (17/3-2010)
SWEDEN
/ NORWAY
A Reminder:
Arctic Radio Morokulien is a new short-term radio station on the Swedish-Norwegian border on 1584 kHz AM. Also 1602 kHz may be used for test broadcasts. Transmitter power will be about 400 watts. The station is run by the Arctic Radio Club (ARC) of Sweden from December 28, 2009, to January 10, 2010. The station plans to broadcast at the following times:
Dec. 28: 0000-0100
Dec. 28: 1400-1500
Dec. 30: 0900-1000
Jan. 6: 0900-1000
Jan. 10: 1400-1530
Jan. 10: 2100-2300
All times are in Swedish local time, which is one hour ahead of UTC. Most of the broadcasts will be in Swedish, but there will be some English content. The broadcast site on the border is called Peace Kingdom Morokulien. Arctic Radio Club of Sweden and the Peace Kingdom Morokulien jointly celebrate their 50th anniversaries by these broadcasts. ARC will be publishing more details in its blog. Reception reports can be sent to Arctic Radio, PO Box 5050, SE-350 05 Växjö, Sweden, or by email. Two domestic Swedish postage stamps are required if a printed QSL card is requested. ARC indicated that there will be more commemorative broadasts during 2010.
DXing.info (24/12-2009)
SWEDEN / NORWAY
quoted from www.qrz.com
"MW-Broadcasting from Morokulien, SJ9WL/LG5LG.
A 50th anniversary-broadcast will start from Morokulien on the 28 of december at 00.00 SNT. (Swedish lokal time is UTC + 1) The name of the station will be "ARCTIC RADIO MOROKULIEN".
The broadcasting will be on 1584 kHz and for the most in Swedish.
The broadcasting will be done to celebrate the 50th anniversery of Morokulien and the Arctic Raduio Club."
Their licence runs till 10 January 2010.
vy73 Harald Kuhl, Germany (16/12-2009)
SWEDEN / NORWAY
The Peace Kingdom Morokulien, located right on the border between Norway and Sweden, just northwest of Charlottenberg, ARCTIC RADIO CLUB starts a new radio station (RSL-restricted special license) on mediumwave on December 28, 2009 thanks to good cooperation with the chairman of Arima, Amateur Radiooperators in Morokulien.
Arctic Radio Club of Sweden and the Peace Kingdom Morokulien jointly celebrate their 50th anniversaries by these broadcasts.
The radio station's main frequency is 1584 kHz, but some test broadcasts will also be carried out on 1602 kHz. The power is approximately 400 watts. The coordinates of the transmitting station is: N 59 degrees, 56 min, 15 sec. E 12 degrees, 12 minutes, 30 seconds. All information on transmissions, frequencies and possible additional test transmissions will be announced at ARC News Flash: www.radioenthusiasts.blogspot.com.
Official broadcast schedule:
28.12.2009 00:00 - 01:00
All times are Swedish Standard Time.
28.12.2009 14:00 - 15:00 (UTC + 1 hour)
30.12.2009 09:00 - 10:00
06.01.2010 09:00 - 10:00
10.01.2010 14:00 - 15:30
10.01.2010 21:00 - 23:00
Transmission will be in Swedish, but some small part in English occurs. Station Identification will be in both languages.
ARC concludes its celebration with broadcasts on Sunday 10 January, 2010.
For those interested, a unique QSL card will be printed. This is of course, a QSL card for the first mediumwave transmission from the Peace Kingdom Morokulien.
See more on the Peace Kingdom Morokulien: a movie made by Swedish TV this year:
http://svtplay.se/v/1695307/varmlandsnytt/morokulien_50_ar www.morokulieninfocenter.com
www.fredsmonumentet.com/index.html
Please contact the ARCTIC RADIO, PO Box 5050, SE-350 05 Växjö, Sweden.
Email: arctic.radio.morokulien @ telia.com
Reception reports are welcome to the above addresses and if you request a printed QSL-card for the correct reception report, please include 2 stamps for Swedish domestic postage.
By letter correspondence please enter your email address and we can notify
you of further commemorative broadcasts in 2010
Bengt Ericsson (16/12-2009)
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SWITZERLAND
First of all I'd like to mention that i discovered a 'loop' change on the Sotten transmitter. When I heard first on 6th of December 2010, a female talked on the loop. On 18th of December (saturday) 2010, the presenter was male on the loop and this male woice were played until the end of the broadcast.
The broadcast have ended at 23 utc, December 31, 2010 (00.00 CET local time) with the end of the loop and the transmitter were switched off. Until then I hear nothing on 765 khz. I haven't heard arabic transmission as our friend did in Ireland. Ofcourse I'll monitor it further.
Tibor Gaal, Hungary (2/1-2011)
SWITZERLAND
Hi all, with Sottens finally going off the air last night some interesting signals on 765. BBC Essex dominant here but a few fades this afternoon have revealed Persian and Arabic, with the Arabic station playing music with horn of Africa overtones so I'm thinking Sudan. Last night had two Arabic stations under Essex.
Anyone hearing anything else?
Paul Logan, Lisnaskea, N. Ireland, mwcircle yg (1/1-2011)
SWITZERLAND
RSR Sottens 765 kHz: Most likely today is the last day for MW broadcasting out of Switzerland. I assume the loop announcement on 765 kHz will be off at 23.00 UT. (It's still on right now.)
IMHO running this announcement 24x7 for three weeks was a major overkill.
Sergei via dxld yg (31/12-2010)
Probably not the last day, one hears that Voice of Russia is rather confident of starting mediumwave transmissions from Switzerland soon. For now the loop is still booming in on 765 kHz. And I agree, burning up money this way for three weeks is quite questionable.
By the way, here in Germany tomorrow will be the last day for Oldiestar on 603 kHz, as now a notice at http://www.oldiestar.de announces. Appears to have been decided at short notice, perhaps just two days ago.
Kai Ludwig via dxld yg (31/12-2010)
SWITZERLAND
Hi to everyone,
Sottens 765 kHz will finally shut down transmission by Dec 31, 2010, midnight Central European Time. The loop will last till then.
I have recorded the Dec 5 farewell party with my camcorder on my venerable Panasonic DR28 and am planning to upload it on Youtube somedays between Xmas and New Year.
The station should not be dismantled, at least as far I understood from the last 4 hours of broadcast on MW. It is likely to be classified as Swiss national patrimony, similarly to the late Beromünster MW transmitter (formerly on 531 Khz, shut down in Dec 2008).
73s Philippe via mwcircle yg (11/12-2010)
SWITZERLAND
Thanks to BC-DX for the reminder about the closure of this transmitter on Sunday:
765 kHz farewell party. On 5 Dec 2010, 1900-2300 UT. Farewell special program of Option Musique Lausanne on MW 765 kHz from Sottens MW site.
Mike Terry, mwdx yg (5/12-2010) [see 4/12-2010 item]
SWITZERLAND
On 5 Dec 2010, 1900-2300 UT.
Farewell special program of Option Musique Lausanne on MW 765 kHz from Sottens
46°39'21.68"N 06°43'44.42"E
MW antenna in the background
http://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/static.panoramio.com/photos/original
/3835624.jpg
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/3835624
765 Am 5. Dezember 2010 bringt Option Musique von 2000 bis 2400 MEZ-CET [1900-2300 UT] auf 765 kHz ein Sonderprogramm, das somit auch die letzten Stunden auf Mittelwelle sein werden. Fuer danach wir auf DAB, Internet und Kabel hin gewiesen. Ansagen mit den angefuehrten Hinweisen habe ich gestern zw. 1855 und 1900 MEZ-CET gehoert.
Erich Bergmann, Germany via wwdxc BC-DX TopNews (2/12-2010)
SWITZERLAND
Voice of Russia signalled its interest in using a mediumwave frequency in Switzerland. They're the only interested broadcaster at all.
http://www.kleinreport.ch/news/voice-of-russia-hat-interesse-an-schweizer-mittelwellenfrequenz-62434.html
(Ignore the remarks about DAB in Berlin; this poor relay of the 693 kHz feed, plagued by pronounced cascading problems, i.e. bad artifacts, has been taken off already some time ago.)
No further details given. Most obvious candidate would be the 765 kHz transmitter in Sottens which SRG/SSR will leave this Sunday (Dec 5) at 2259 UT. There should be no obstacles, others than in the field of broadcasting regulation, to firing it up again with another program input.
558 kHz could be possible, too, I think it was not too long ago that this transmitter showed signs of live and was on air with a test tone.
Beromünster could be difficult due to all the EMV hassle and hysteria there, although it was kind of a welcomed excuse for cancelling 531 kHz.
While looking up the matter I found this collection of pictures and recordings from Swiss broadcasting history, featuring also the Schwarzenburg, Beromünster and Sottens shortwave facilities:
http://www.sarganserland-walensee.ch/radio_tv_historisch/index.htm
Kai Ludwig via dxld yg (29/11-2010)
SWITZERLAND
Recently Sweden left MW and there is little time left for Switzerland:
FAQ from RSR Switzerland:
" I can not listen music option on medium waves. The transmitter of Sottens is it still running?"
On 5 December 2010, the transmitter will be decommissioned. If you listen to Music Option AM (amplitude modulation) / OM (MW), frequency 765 KHz, please select one of the following options: Option Musique broadcasts on FM in Valais and Geneva on cable , DAB + and Internet throughout Switzerland. This program is also broadcast by satellite.
To take advantage of programs in Digital Music Option, opt for a DAB + digital radio available in all stores. Connect your device and it automatically makes the adjustment of radio programs. In seconds, you already listen to music in digital quality option, and our other channels. More explanations on the website or radionumerique.ch dab.rsr.ch.
Steve Whitt, mwneditor, mwcircle yg (27/11-2010)
SWITZERLAND
Peter Galliker of Radio Gloria (www.radiogloria.ch) just informed me that they plan to broadcast on 1566 kHz AM from Switzerland for a couple of days, starting around mid-December.
This will be low power tests (around 250 Watts), also for checking the field strength for future activities.
Currently they are waiting for the final decision from BAKOM, the Swiss frequency authority. More info soon.
Another project of Radio Gloria is to reactivate 6085 kHz AM from Germany (QTH Kall-Krekel, www.classicbroadcast.de): broadcasts will be heard from 0800 to 1400 UTC on November 28, December 5, 12, 19 and daily from December 24, 2010, till January 2, 2011.
73 Harald Kuhl, Germany via mwcircle yg (17/11-2010)
SWITZERLAND
Seemingly RSR will close its mw 765 kHz Option Musique (Sottens site) already at the end of 2010. Thanks to Ydun M. Ritz for translation.
http://www.rsr.ch/#/corporate/frequences/
Click on: Radio analogique AM (modulation d'amplitude) / OM (ondes moyennes).
73 Harald Kuhl, Germany via mwcircle yg (28/9-2010)
The date of the closure: 5 December 2010 2359 Local time: www.2222.ch
73 Franck Baste, mwcircle yg (28/9-2010)
SWITZERLAND
I confirm the presence of 800 Hz test tone on 558 kHz.
In all probability the transmitter and aerial the same used before July 1st 2008, at Alpe del Tiglio (Isone) know as MonteCeneri. The signal 25 km from the transmitter is rather strong.
This test should be associated to the investigation of the Communication's Federal Bureau upon real interest in the use of Medium Wave.
Further information on
http://www.bakom.admin.ch/themen/radio_tv/01214/02379/02380/index.html?lang=fr
Best regards Luigi Ghiringhelli, Italy (30/9-2009)
SWITZERLAND
I have noticed by a pure coincidence that today Sep 28 a testing signal was hearable on 558Khz, as a continuous beep. I heard it in Switzerland at 10:00 UTC (ground wave, medium power) as well as Swiss evening time at 19:00 UTC. I heard it at home as well as in my car while driving in the Zurich area.
The signal direction seems to come from Monte-Ceneri (formerly transmitting on 558Khz), South of Switzerland, close to the Italian border.
Is this Monte-Ceneri doing a coverage test for somebody else? The Swiss-Italian broadcast was phased out in summer 2008.
Regards Philippe Aeby, Switzerland via mwc (28/9-2009)
SWITZERLAND
SRG, Switzerland's public broadcaster, will close down also its last remaining mediumwave outlet on 765 kHz as of 2011.
Abandoning mediumwave is part of a program of cost-saving measures, approved by SRG's administrational council on 22 June. Under this program there will also be no increases of salaries for SRG staff members in 2010. Real estates not directly needed for programming
purposes will be sold, others will not see any further investments, besides necessary repairs. The budgets for promoting HDTV and DAB will be decreased.
This program results from an expected increase of SRG's debts from 200 millions CHF to 790 millions CHF in 2014. It does not solve SRG's financial problems but still leaves a deficit of 40 millions CHF per year. This could be eased by increasing the incomes, here SRG suggests
not only to raise the licence fees but also to remove certain limits for advertisements, especially the bans to put them on their online services and to disrupt TV shows for spots. Swissinfo (the remains of Swiss Radio International) will be "optimized", which could possibly mean that it will be eliminated as unit on its own and the website be produced by
SRG's existing Bern (German) or Geneve (Rumanian) studios.
As other way to solve the financial problems SRG already suggests other possible cost saving measures. This scenario includes closing down DRS Virus and World Radio Switzerland, cutting costs at the Italian radio stations, limiting the HDTV output and abandoning the Euronews project.
A next step, if this is not enough, would be closing down also one of the Italian radios, Option Musique and DRS Musikwelle, cancelling all HDTV activities and leaving the 3sat (together with Germany's ZDF and Austria's ORF) as well as TV5 (together with France, Belgium's RTBF and Canada's CBC) networks.
SRG press release on the cost saving program:
http://www.srg.ch/125.0.html?&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews
An earlier one about Swissinfo:
http://www.srg.ch/125.0.html?&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews
Neue Zürcher Zeitung report:
http://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/medien/die_srg_malt_einen_tiefroten_
finanzhorizont_1.2806158.html
Kai Ludwig via dxld yg (27/6-2009)
SWITZERLAND
Have been in touch with Musicwelle and it looka like the AM frequencies will be open to private broadcasters in this year.
Even hope to get a licence in Germany to broadcast towards denmark and Sweden during dayligth.
See you, Roy Sandgren www.starwaves.se (5/1-2009)
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