Month: June 2021

United States

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After a 14 month silent period and a “fire sale” of the station to a new owner, KDYL 1060 (South Salt Lake City, UT) is back on the air. KDYL is currently stunting with an automated soft rock format, but according to a recent post on the “Talking Utah Radio” discussion board, the new owner plans to air a Spanish language format once the stunting period has ended. KDYL offers a new twilight DX target for 1060, as it powers down from 10 kW days to 149 watts at night to protect Class A stations KYW and XEEP.
David Wilson to I Love AM Radio FB group (2021-06-18)

Unid

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Today I noticed a station on 774 kHz, it was strongest on this SDR: http://kiwi.24×7.hk:8073/?f=774.00amz6
It was also audible on this SDR, but worse: http://91.222.155.56:8073/?f=774.00amz5
The modulation is sometimes extremely bad, sometimes the transmitter fails for some seconds, so no modulation is audible.
The recordings [….] are from the Central Ukraine SDR.
If the location information is correct, the distance is about ~350 km, so the transmitter must have some power.
Maybe it is a pirate station.
Marco (2021-06-18)

Ireland

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252 LW RTE Radio 1 to be off the air for almost 2 months for mast “essential maintenance”.
Work has commenced on schedule.  So an opportunity to dx Algeria. The Tipaza Longwave transmitter broadcasts the French-speaking station Alger Chaîne 3 on the longwave frequency of 252 kHz. It is situated near Tipaza at 36°33’58” N and 2°28’50” E, and reportedly has a transmission power of 1500 kW during the day and 750 kW at night. The antenna is a 355-meter tall guyed mast, which is the second-tallest structure of Algeria.
(Per Wikipedia)
Mike Terry to Longwaveradiolistening groups.io (2021-06-18)

United Kingdom

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Lyca Media II Ltd has been granted permission to change the format of its London-based local radio station Lyca Dilse Radio following an Ofcom consultation.
Two responses were received, with one in favour and another seeking clarification over the wording of the proposed target audience.
The station will now become a retro Asian music radio station with lifestyle speech, targeting over 40-year old Asians in London.
The new format means the station would have to offer less speech during the daytime than it currently does.
RadioToday
Svenn Martinsen in DX-LISTENERS’ CLUB FB group (2021-06-16)

Japan

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Most Japanese commercial AM broadcasters will stop AM until 2028
According to “Spotrs Hochi News” and other media;
The representatives of Japanese 47 commercial AM radio broadcasters held the online meeting on June 14, they announced 44 of 47 broadcasters have decided to stop AM broadcasting until 2028 and change to FM. Only 3 broadcasters in Hokkaido and Akita have not decided yet.
3 AM broadcasters in Tokyo – TBS Radio (954kHz 100kW/90.5MHz 7kW), Bunka Hoso (1134kHz 100kW/91.6MHz 7kW), Nippon Hoso (1242kHz 100kW/93.0MHz 7kW) will do the last decision in 2025. 28 AM broadcasters will start the demonstration experiment to stop AM in 2023-2028.
The reasons are
1) it is financially impossible to renew the old AM transmitter equipment,
2) the simultaneous AM/FM broadcasting has been the severe burden for finance. They add the number of internet/mobile phone (using “radiko” site or App) listeners have exceeded that of radio listeners, especially in younger generation.
Takahito Akabayashi, Tokyo, Japan to WOR groups.io (2021-06-15)

Canada

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Canada finally has an AM station testing digital HD on AM, rather than the usual practice of placing AM stations on a co-owned FM’s HD channel. As well as
being “first on the dial” at 530, CHLO was also the first station acquired by current owner Evanov.
530 ON Brampton CHLO June 8th marked the beginning of digital HD testing in Hybrid IBOC, making CHLO the first station in Canada to use HD on AM. There is already a report of interference on the international maritime Navtex frequency of 518.
CANADIAN RADIO NEWS –Jon Pearkins.
IRCA DX Monitor June 19, published June 14 via WOR groups.io (2021-06-15)