Month: June 2021

Ireland

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RTÉ News 11 June 2021:
RTÉ will carry out essential maintenance of the Long Wave (LW) transmitter in Clarkstown, Co. Meath from 15th June 2021 for two months during which period RTÉ Radio 1 will not be available on LW 252. These works are necessary to ensure that RTÉ can continue to broadcast RTÉ Radio 1 on LW.   

This essential maintenance of the transmitter was due to be carried out in 2020 but was postponed due to Covid-19 restrictions. For the health and safety of those carrying out the works, the transmitter must be switched off for the works period, until Saturday 14th August (estimated). Furthermore, the works must be completed during the summer months when there is better light and weather conditions. 

The works will be carried out by RTÉ Transmission Network (2rn), a wholly owned subsidiary of RTÉ, responsible for the distribution and transmission of the programme services of RTÉ radio and television, as well as TG4 television, Virgin Media television and Today FM. 

During this period, listeners will continue to have a wide range of choice to access RTÉ radio services which are available at www.rte.ie/keeplistening.  
More here: https://about.rte.ie/2021/06/11/essential-maintenance-of-rte-longwave-transmitter/
Mike Terry to longwaveradiolistening groups.io (2021-06-12)

Pakistan

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Rs1.9 bn allocated for 15 Information Division projects.
The government has allocated around Rs1.9 billion for 15 ongoing and new schemes of Information and Broadcasting Division under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) of fiscal year 2021-22, including setting up of a digital and social media simulation lab.

As per the PSDP, an amount of Rs1457.465 million has been allocated for seven new schemes, while a sum of Rs442.218 earmarked for the eight ongoing schemes. The eight ongoing schemes including 100KW (kilowatt) medium-wave radio station at Gwadar, modernisation of camera and procurement of production equipment of Pakistan Television (PTV) Corporation, broadcast station at Barkhan, rebroadcast stations at Kharan and Ziarat (Balochistan) and Kotli (AJK), rehabilitation of medium-wave services from Muzaffarabad and replacement of medium-wave transmitter at Mirpur.

The seven new schemes included in the PSDP 2021-22 are: carrying out feasibility study for the establishment of Pakistan Media University, setting up an auditorium and passenger lift at Radio Pakistan, Multan, digital and social media simulation lab at Information Service Academy, Islamabad with Rs28.735 million, Pakistan Information Centres (phase-I), pilot project of DTMB-A (digitalisation of terrestrial network) and reconstructing of news operations by replacing existing outdated equipment with modern cutting-edge technology.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/848518-rs1-9-bn-allocated-for-15-information-division-projects
The International News, Islamabad (2021-06-12)

France

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Mediumwave masts in Nomeny demolished.
Translated by Google:
“Mediumwave broadcasting has largely been history in France since 2016. It is therefore not surprising what happened on May 31, 2021, in Nomeny, between Nancy and Metz: the masts of the medium-wave transmitter disappeared from the landscape.
The station Nomeny has been switched off since 2014. At that time, Radio France had already separated from the frequencies 792 kHz from Nieul near Limoges and 945 kHz from Muret near Toulouse. The operation of the medium waves still remaining after that ended in 2015.
In Nomeny there were two frequencies: 1350 kHz in single-frequency operation with Nice-Antibes for France Inter and 837 kHz for the former “Réseau Ondes Moyennes”. France Inter’s mediumwave broadcasting was discontinued at the end of 1996. At that time, the channels on 675, 1071 and 1161 kHz were also switched off.”
Original text in German.
Radio Eins Radio-News (2021-06-11)

United States

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WBZ Celebrates 100 Years.
In Boston, WBZ NewsRadio [1030 kHz] has begun a 100-day celebration leading up to its 100-year anniversary.
The station, owned by iHeartMedia, passes the century mark on Sept. 19 and is thus one of the oldest in the United States. It originally was located in East Springfield, Mass., and first broadcast from Boston in 1924.
More on the story here.
Radio World (2021-06-11)

United States

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RC Amer’s Vision Communications sells Conservative Talk 1410 KKLO 1410 KKLO Leavenworth/92.7 K224FF Lenexa KS to Radio Vida Kansas for $775,000. KKLO serves the Kansas City market, where the buyer’s “Radio Aliento” Spanish Christian programming is heard on Iglesia Pentecostal Casa De Dios Para Las Naciones’ 100.7 KCGG-LP Kansas City KS.
RadioInsight (2021-06-11)

United States

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Former BET, PBS and NPR/Public Radio International host Tavis Smiley’s Smiley Audio Company will launch its new Black Talk format on 1580 KBLA Santa Monica/Los Angeles on Saturday, June 19.

The Juneteenth launch follows Smiley’s purchase of the station last fall from Multicultural Radio Broadcasting for $7.15 million.

Smiley has tapped Elston Howard Butler to serve as President and Chief Operating Officer of KBLA and parent Smiley Audio Company. Butler joins KBLA from Stevie Wonder’s Taxi Productions Adult R&B 102.3 KJLH Inglewood where he has served as Market Manager since January 2019. He has also served as VP/Sales for iHeartMedia Riverside CA, Local Sales Manager for 790 KABC Los Angeles, and held sales positions at CBS Radio, Evergreen Media, Cox Radio and KJLH in Los Angeles.

KJLH has also unveiled its daily on-air schedule which features a few other KJLH veterans.

Dominique DiPrima will move from the 430-6am slot on KJLH to anchor “First Things First With Dominique DiPrima” from 6-9am at KBLA. DiPrima, who had been with KJLH since 2005, previously hosted “Street Science with Dominique di Prima” at 92.3 and 100.3 KKBT where she also was a part of Steve Harvey’s morning show.

Smiley himself will host from 9am to 12pm. He will be followed by Danny Morrison from 12 to 2pm. Morrison will continue to host mornings at Cesar Chavez Foundation Rhythmic CHRs “Forge 95.3” KBHH Kernan/Fresno and “Forge 103.9” KBDS Taft/Bakersfield.

Reach Media’s syndicated DL Hughley Show will follow from 2-4pm. Comedian Alonzo Bodden will host afternoons from 4-7pm. Dr. Jeshana Johnson will host “Let’s Get Intimate with Dr. Jeshana Johnson” from 7 to 9pm. Another KJLH alum, Don Amiche will host “Don Amiche vs. Everybody + Crysta and Kiara” from 9pm to midnight. Amiche spent 11 years at KJLH from 2007 to 2018 and most recently was a producer for Westwood One’s Pat McAfee Show. He has also worked on-air at KJMZ Lawton, KQXC Wichita Falls, KZZA Dallas, KWIN Stockton, XHTZ San Diego, and served as Creative Services Director for KNX Los Angeles.
RadioInsight (2021-06-11)

United Kingdom

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BBC Radio Wales Wrexham 657 KHz closed down and started playing a retune loop at 12:05 PM on June 9 2021.

Meanwhile, BBC Radio Wales Penmon 882 KHz is playing a regular announcement that they will be closing down on June 23 along with retune information.  The message is repeated every half hour at 19 and 49 past the hour.

Liron (2021-06-09)

Canada

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CHLO AM530 first AM station in Canada to adopt HD Technology.
In another milestone and innovative move, Evanov Communications announced that today it began testing CHLO AM530 in HD. CHLO was the first station founded by the company. It is a heritage ethnic station that programs to many cultural and linguistic communities in the Toronto CMA. Its primary reach and focus are on the very large and diverse South-Asian audience.
CHLO AM530 is the first and only AM station in the country to adopt digital HD technology. Evanov’s VP and Regulatory Affairs, Carmela Laurignano, said: “We are excited to be on the leading edge. Radio broadcasting has endured, withstood, and adapted over its history and continues to remain relevant because operators have understood and adjusted to market conditions. These last few years have been especially challenging for the medium. Unregulated platforms and distribution mechanisms have been allowed to run rampant while radio continues to be taxed with restrictions and fees. Distribution of the over-the-air programming not only offers a more reliable, clear signal and sound for the listener, it might also prove in some cases, to be a lifeline for the AM band which is so challenged to the point of being abandoned. The Covid-19 Pandemic effect has further aggravated the situation.”
am530.ca
Canadian Radio News FB group (2021-06-08)