News Archive

# SAMOA AMERICAN # SCOTLAND # SERBIA # SLOVAKIA # SLOVENIA
# SOLOMON ISLANDS # SOUTH AFRICA # SPAIN # SRI LANKA # SWEDEN
# SWITZERLAND # SYRIA

SAMOA AMERICAN
AM frequency change in American Samoa Leone, American Samoa: 720 kHz: WVUV granted move from 648 kHz. Power reduced from 10,000 watts to 5,000 daytime, 2,000 nighttime, non-directional. New site 14-20-24S/170-46-22W
Posted by Doug Smith @ 1:06 AM Saturday, July 26, 2008, American Bandscan blog via DXLD 8-086 (29/7-2008)
This has been pending for some time, to get away from a 9-kHz-spaced frequency offtunable only by caradios; but why reduce power?
Glenn Hauser, DXLD 8-086 (29/7-2008)

SAMOA AMERICAN
Received this message from Maugaoao T. Alailefaleula in American Samoa:
"KJAL Tafuna: Could you please give me the update on the change of frequency for the about station. Also, could you please have them (FCC) explain the delay of arroving the change of frequency from 585 to 630?"
Does anybody know?
yours truly (5/12-2006)
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SAUDI ARABIA
I heard BSKSA Qurayyat (Saudi Arabia) on 1098 kHz on 5 JUN 2008 at 1900 UTC with A2 program (Second Arabic). Nice signal. This transmitter is not listed in EMWG.
Good Luck with MW, Karel Honzik, CZE via MWC (8/6-2008)
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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)

SCOTLAND
Celtic Music Radio 1530: Heard this for a first time definite ID here this morning as it ID'd
at 02:00:40 under/over Pulse's news bulletin.
Mark Hattam, South Bucks, AOR 7030+, EWE via mwdx yg (8/11-2008)
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SERBIA
Radio Valjevo 1368 kHz test broadcast.
Test will be on Monday September 28th at 2000 UTC or 2200CET. It will last 30 min. Music: Serbian folk. Easy to recognize. For control, the same audio could be heard on:
www.radio-valjevo.com
Kindly ask our friends to, if possible, record the audio and, together with report, send to:  ‘radiovaljevo1′ at the domain ‘gmail.com’
Bengt Ericson via Mauno Ritola via NORDX via Dxing the Finnish Way (24/9-2009)

SERBIA
Broadcast from Serbia, Sun 18th May - 1660 kHz! We are on air on Radio Vihor, Pancevo! Try us!
I will be in Serbia, in Belgrade, between 18th - 26th of May with my friend Jim. We will visit many legal FM-stations during the week in countryside around Belgrade.
We will also be on the air on Radio Vihor (from Pancevo, 25 km NE from Belgrade) on Sunday evening. We will have one hour broadcast with Serbian pirate-guys and will play Serbian and Finnish music.
The broadcast will be on Sunday 18.5.2008 on 1650, 1660 or 1670 kHz with 1 kW. We start at 22.00 Central European Time (20.00 UTC) and close at 23.00 CET. I hope some frequency will be free. We will take prepaid GSM for callings and SMS to live transmission.
All reports of this special broadcast can be sent to Radio Vihor, P.O.Box 1104, 8001BC Zwolle, Holland (This P.O.Box belongs to Radio Bluebird who has been in QSO with Serbians before). Please enclose one IRC for Special-QSL. There will be no e-mail-box.
Best 73, Harri Kujala via Jim Solatie, MWDX (15/5-2008)
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SLOVAKIA
Slovakia is slowly returning to medium waves in order to improve reception of Slovak Radio's Radio Patria - a program for national minorities. New transmitter is Cizatice [702 kHz]in the eastern part of Slovakia (13km NE of Kosice). Power is 10kW. Its program schedule should be in parallel with 1098kHz.
Karel Honzik, CZE via mwdx yg (23/5-2009)

SLOVAKIA
Radio Patria - a program for national minorities is stronger again on 1098 kHz. Now via Nitra-Jarok (pron. Yahrock) with 10kW. A new weak transmitter on the Slovak Radio building in Bratislava was switched off and when the DRM module arrives they start testing DRM on 1287kHz.
During the night the Slovak Radio 3 - Devin is relayed on 1098kHz. Otherwise this cultural program is on FM only.
Karel Honzik, CZE via dxld yg (2/5-2009)

I can add to this that Slovakia has plans to also reactivate Kosice - Cizatice on 702 kHz with 5 kW for eastern Slovakia. The transmitter on the radio building in Bratislava on 1287 kHz will be used for DRM (new digital radio - Rádio Litera or Rádio Klasika).
73, Herman Boel via mwc (3/5-2009)

SLOVAKIA
Bratislava 1098 kHz: Pheeeew, this was a tough one, and in fact it is sheer madness to invest four hours in researching such a story for nothing...
Nothing at all about this on the website of Slovenský Rozhlas, except the reproduction of a third party (SITA news agency) report:
http://www.slovakradio.sk/inetportal/slovensko/index.php?page=showSprava&id=63985&
lang=1
Otherwise no mention in the frequency lists, no nothing. But this discussion is revealing:
http://www.radiotv.cz/spolecne-diskuse.html?id_diskuse=7520
First, it is not the old Bratislava city transmitter in Nové Mesto, in the past listed with two 5 kW outlets on 792 and 1017, with the latter being closed together with most other mediumwave outlets in January 2008 while 792 (which I guess was only a daytimer anyway) went dark already years ago:
http://maps.google.de./?ie=UTF8&ll=48.17777,17.143725&spn=0.005487,0.009656&t=
h&z=17
Instead it is indeed a transmitter on the roof of the Slovenský Rozhlas building, the famous upside down pyramid:
http://www.drmrx.org/forum/showthread.php?t=2069
It seems that Slovenský Rozhlas first intended to use it for DRM experiments only, but they changed their mind after coming under pressure because the Hungarian-language broadcasts were no longer audible in Bratislava. All they were offered was a tiny FM outlet with 30...50 watts, and so they got the idea with the cheap, own (rather than leased from Slovak Telecom) mediumwave transmitter. They even seek clearance for an output of 10 kW. Of course it appears to be doubtful if they will get such a plan trough at this site, inmidst the city.
The limitation of the approval until yearend probably applies to the DRM experiments at night only. So the AM transmissions could last longer, since I see no indication for any changes in the situation concerning FM frequencies.
This is also interesting:
http://sk.radiotv.cz/digital-clanky/1248/sro-sa-vrati-na-1098-khz-a- pripravuje-
vysielanie-v-drm.html
In February 2007 the chief engineer of Slovenský Rozhlas still planned to use 1098 with 750 kW again and talked about installing new, DRM-capable transmitters because Slovak Telecom had already removed the Tesla SRV 750 rigs from the 1988 high power site near Nitra. Only five months later the first reports about a closure of all mediumwave
frequencies started to appear.
And this is quite revealing in regard to the financial situation of Slovenský Rozhlas:
http://www.rozhlas.sk/inetportal/2007/index.php?lang=1&stationID=5&page
=patria_hud_pozdravy
They charge 9.90 Euro for a compliment in the request programmes of Rádio Patria. Quite hefty, a public broadcaster in Germany would be heavily beaten for such an idea.
Kai Ludwig, Germany via dxld yg (20/2-2009)

SLOVAKIA
As you know recently all Slovak medium wave transmitters were shut down. However, for SRo 5 - Rádio Patria, a Hungarian minority station, this meant that it could no longer be received in the capital Bratislava and surroundings as there was no FM frequency available.
That is why a provisional 1 kW transmitter has been reactivated on 1098 kHz, broadcasting from Mytna Street between 0500 and 1700utc.
This transmitter will probably remain active until the end of the year, by what time the station hopes to have received an FM frequency.
The radio company's original plan was to start DRM transmissions on this frequency, but this will now have to wait.
73 Herman Boel, www.emwg.info via MWC (16/2-2009)

SLOVAKIA
Slovakia is leaving the MW band. The last three transmitters (Presov 702, Rimavská Sobota 1017 and Nitra 1098kHz) will be switched off for good on Sunday, February 1, 2009. Radio Patria, a program for national minorities, changes to FM.
Karel Honzik, CZE via MWDX (26/1-2009)

SLOVAKIA
Slovensky Rozhlas will be on air via mediumwave for the last time on Feb 1st. Since one year ago they were still using three transmitters, Presov/Haniska on 702 kHz (100 kW), Rimavska Sobota on 1017 kHz (50 kW) and Nitra/Jarok on 1098 kHz (50 kW; was supposed to be upgraded to 100 kW, but I think this would have required a new transmitter, and it is highly unlikely that one has been installed). All other transmitters were already closed back then, and high power transmitter were no longer in use since 2003/2004.
So far mediumwave has still been kept for Radio Patria, the minority service. From Feb 2 its Hungarian service will be expanded to 12 hours a day (6 AM to 6 PM) and carried via seven frequencies along the Slovak-Hungarian border that otherwise belong to the networks of either the culture program Radio Devin or the youth station Radio FM. Listeners who will have trouble to get these programs on FM are being referred to satellite (Astra 3A) and the internet. The shorter minority broadcasts in other languages will be included after 6 PM in the program line-up of Radio Regina.
Slovensky Rozhlas wants to get rid of mediumwave already since 2007. Closing Radio Patria turned out to be impossible, frequencies for a fifth FM network could not be found either, and so Slovensky Rozhlas now implements this solution. It appears to be a troublesome one: On one side SMK, the coalition of the Hungarians in Slovakia, already lamented that the Bratislava/Trnava area and the rural regions around Kosice will not be covered by Radio Patria anymore. On the other side ethnic Slovakians already criticized that Radio Devin and Radio FM will be taken off certain transmitters in favour of the Hungarian service.
Karel Honzik, MWC via Kai Ludwig via dxld yg (26/1-2009)

SLOVAKIA
At 13.45 CET (12.45 UK Time) Radio Tatras International (RTI) will re-brand as a 24/7 RTI service. The separate Radio Tatry identification will cease.
There is also a brand new web site accessible via www.rti.fm The site will also see the launch of the studio web cam.
Regards Eric RTI (7/10-2005)
RTI on 1350 kHz via Latvia (ed)
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SOUTH AFRICA
An application has been submitted to the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) to have mediumwave frequencies re-designated from commercial to open. This would pave the way for stations such as Radio Veritas to apply for a mediumwave licence. There are 18 unused mediumwave frequencies that are locked as commercial.
Radio Veritas’ Father Emil Blaser said, “If they change the allocation from commercial to open then there would most likely be many community radio stations that might like to bid for those frequencies.”
Source: eyewitnessnews.co.za via Media Network weblog (21/9-2009)

SOUTH AFRICA
This morning 090117 at 0130 I detected a new transmitter on 639 kHz running // programming to R. Lesotho on 891. The station is about 10 dB stronger than 891.
Also, 846 Komga [South Africa] was off air = unusual = will keep an eye on that.
John Plimmer, Montagu, Western Cape Province, South Africa via DXLD 9-006 (21/1-2009)
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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 (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)

SPAIN
Changes in the RNE chains from today Sep. 1st:
The oficial brand for the first channel is now "Radio Nacional" (ex Radio 1).
Regional outputs M-F at 0525-0530 (//R5TN), 0750-0800 (//R5TN), 1110-1200 UTC. No changes on weekends (1110-1200 only).
Radio 5-Todo Noticias is starting its programming at 0700 to 2200 UTC (9 to midnight local time!) the rest is // with Radio Nacional.
Regional/local outputs M-F at 0525-0530 (Reg//RN), 0750-0800 (Reg//RN), 0745-0800 (local), 1300-1315 (Reg.)
Saludos, M.Molano, Salamanca via MWDX (1/9-2008)
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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
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)

SWITZERLAND
Voice of Switzerland prepares to bow out.
The medium wave transmitter at Beromünster in central Switzerland will go silent forever on Sunday night, 77 years and seven months after it first came into service.
For many Swiss, there will be more than a touch of sadness, as Beromünster was a household name they grew up with; it is without doubt an integral part of the country's radio history.
Look on the dial of any decent radio from the past. Beromünster features on the far right along with other great names, for example Lyons, Stuttgart, Vienna, Berlin, Monte Ceneri (southern Switzerland), AFN and Budapest.
With technology advancing to VHF and now DAB, the transmitter's days were numbered and the decision was made a few years ago to pull the plug on what finally was broadcasting a Swiss country music programme on 531 kHz.
Two men who "grew up" with the transmitter, technicians Hermann Weber and Hans Moser, have been looking after it in its final years. They have each clocked up 40 years of service.
"At present there are only two of us here and we do everything from being caretakers to repairing the transmitter, and we're responsible for the programme being broadcast until midnight on December 28," Weber told swissinfo.

"Nostalgia"
He said he would look back on his career at Beromünster with "a little bit of nostalgia, but then a new stage in life will begin - retirement - that's also nice". Beromünster is something of a misnomer because it is not actually located in the commune of the same name but in neighbouring Gunzwil. It's worth remembering that at the beginning, the radio transmitter was considered great competition for the daily newspapers and that after a struggle, the transmitter broadcast only two new bulletins a day. Then came the Second World War. There were weekly commentaries on the situation from radio legend Jean-Rodolphe von Salis, and everyone was glued not to the box but to the radio.
Beromünster was respected, not just in Switzerland, as the only independent German-language broadcaster. After the war, Beromünster was as popular as ever. The programmes were not just about national events and music, but also entertainment.
"At that time we only had a radio at home with medium wave, so we always had
Beromünster on," Weber recalls.

"Keep quiet"
"At 12.30pm the news came on and we all had to keep quiet. We didn't have a television then, so in the evening we listened to the stories of [Swiss author] Jeremias Gotthelf and the whole family sat in front of the radio." Later on, Weber recalls that he had reached the "awkward adolescent age", switched off from Beromünster and tuned into Luxembourg, where there was different music. "When our parents came into the room, they used to say: 'This music is not for you'." Significant moments for Beromünster fans were also commentaries from Heiner Gautschi in New York and Theodor Haller in London. And there were concerts from radio orchestras in Switzerland that no longer exist. After 40 years working at the installation, now run by Swisscom Broadcast, Weber is still very much a fan of what the transmitter broadcasts.

"Transmitter is working?"
"When I listen to the radio, it's on the Musikwelle (mostly Swiss traditional music played by German-language Swiss radio from the transmitter). On the one hand it's to hear whether the transmitter is working (laughs), on the other I like the programme. It's varied and plays
music I like."

The transmitter will die on December 28 but there are proposals to keep the installation intact as a museum. Weber is certainly not convinced about that idea.
"After the closure, I'd prefer that all the signs of the transmitter disappear. When a transmitter doesn't broadcast, it's not a transmitter anymore and there's not enough here for an interesting museum."
Weber and his colleague Moser are not giving too much away about what they will be doing when midnight strikes on Sunday.
But you may just find them in the control room drinking a glass to an old friend that has been with them for the best part of their working lives.
http://www.swissinfo.ch:80/eng/front/Beromuenster_takes_its_leave_of_the
_airwaves.html?siteSect=105&sid=10126763&rss=true&ty=st
swissinfo.ch By Robert Brookes in Beromünster, December 27, 2008 via Mike Terry via dxld yg (28/12-2008)

SWITZERLAND
531 Beromuenster shutdown after 77 years in service.
MW Beromuenster will be carry Musikwaelle til Dec 28th 2008, at 22.59:59 UT / 23.59:59 CET.
On Dec 29th, 30th, and 31st, a permanent announcement service loop will be carried til Dec 31st 2008, at 22.59:59 UT / 23.59:59 CET.
Wolfgang Bueschel via MWDXyg (16/10-2008)

SWITZERLAND
Swiss mediumwave transmitter on 531 kHz to close by year end.
2 comments so far: 1
This is SRG’s spin, but when looking at the hard numbers one can only conclude that they reduced the power to comply these regulations. To my knowledge the fieldstrength limit for inhabited places in Switzerland is 8 V/m. The complaint against the transmitter was that it produced 12.6 V/m at such a place when running full 600 kW. Reducing the power to 170 kW (some sources specify the currently run level as 160 kW) brings the fieldstrength down to 7 V/m. If these figures and my maths are correct (there is a possibility that nearfield conditions would have to be considered, the affair appears to concern a place less than 400 metres away from the antenna) there is no problem with electromagnetic radiation.
Kai Ludwig, Media Network weblog (28/7-2008)
According to engineering circles it is still unclear what will happen to the transmitter. The possibilities range from continued operation for another broadcaster (since SRG almost definitely leaves on 31 Dec) to a complete demolition of the station.
Swiss DXer Christian Brülhart, Media Network weblog (28/7-2008)
The possibilities for another broadcaster using 531 are very slim. Some 10 years ago SRG abandoned 1566 kHz, also from B-Muenster, but a commercial Zuerich broadcaster could not make it profitable.The AM situation has worsened since. Only an oldies station with just the electricity costs at 160 kW (low charges for the old TX and site) would be an option Media Network blog (28/7-2008)

SWITZERLAND
The Swiss mediumwave transmitter at Beromünster on 531 kHz is to close by the end of 2008, as it no longer complies with stringent regulations on electromagnetic radiation. The 600 kW transmitter has in recent years been operated at the reduced power of 180 kW.  In 2003 the antenna feeder cable was damaged by lightning. It was planned to replace it, but the plans were cancelled because of protests from local residents.
Andy Sennitt, RN Media Network weblog (28/7-2008)

SWITZERLAND
The Monte Ceneri transmitter on 558 kHz will be shut down at the end of this month, so in all likelyhood on June 30. "Closing down the obsolete mediumwave technology does not impair the broadcast reception in southern Switzerland and enables SRG to save high expenses", thus the close-down has been approved:
http://www.news.admin.ch/message/?lang=de&msg-id=19386
This news release also announces that a fifth TV program will be squeezed into the SRG's German DVB-T mux. Uh-oh, I hope it at least runs in 64-QAM mode with about 20 Mbps of available bitrate. It looks already pretty bad when four programs have to share the 15 Mbps of a 16-QAM mux.
Last year on IFA I came accross a big screen displaying such a signal, next to other ones which were fed by a HD source. Just embarrassing.

And here is a discussion about Beromünster 531 kHz:
http://forum.mysnip.de/read.php?11947,595327
To sum it up, SRG still sticks with the plan to close it down at yearend, but it remains to be seen if 531 will really go dark. In theory it could also fall into the hands of a competitor, something SRG is quite scared of. Operating the transmitter at reduced power of 160 kW,
as it is the case already for some time, does not violate any fieldstrength limits in the vicinity of the site, no matter that SRG uses this argument as an excuse for the planned shut-down (they are required to not exceed 8.5 V/m, produced up to 12.7 V/m when 600 kW were run, thus the fieldstrength drops below the 8.5 V/m limit when going
below 170 kW). But they still could turn around and tell people that technical adjustments now make it possible etc.etc.etc.
Kai Ludwig via dxld yg (19/6-2008)
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SYRIA
Syria heard well tonight [19/12-2007] from 1900 UTC on off channel 782 kHz (//828). 1900 UTC Ar News, from 1930 UTC Ar music.
Regards, Harald Kuhl, Germany (19/12-2007)
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