TWR Africa observed on 1476kHz & 1566kHz. On 30 July TWR Africa Nigerian Service was observed in progress on 1476kHz at 04:25UT, transitioning from Hausa to Igbo programming with an introduction in English followed by the interval signal. This morning transmission block is broadcast Monday-Friday only. The following day TWR Africa West African Service was observed signing on 1566kHz at 04:25UT, with their interval signal interspersed with English & French IDs. This morning transmission block is broadcast daily except Saturday. Both broadcasts featured their distinctive new (to me anyway) interval signal, which was their long-standing “We Have a Story To Tell To the Nations” on handbells, as used by other TWR Africa services, but in this case overlaid with [presumably] West African instruments. Both versions of the TWR Africa IS can be heard on the Benin and Eswatini pages of Interval Signals Online – https://intervalsignals.net The above broadcasts were monitored with fair reception thanks to a webSDR in Fuerteventura, Canary Islands.
David Kernick, Interval Signals Online to MWlist iog (2024-07-31)
Translated from French: The USAGM has just stopped its medium and short wave station on the island of Sao Tome. An unannounced stop, which the agency wanted discreet. The end of 34 years of history: The VOA was installed in Liberia, in 1990, the civil war made the station totally unusable. The United States wanted to find another site in the region. The US government’s request for the installation of a Voice of America relay station has garnered the greatest interest locally. The agreement was quickly reached: IBB leases a 140-hectare plot on the east coast, three kilometers from the capital of the Republic, which is also called São Tomé. Construction of the Pinheira site began in 1992, on the ruins of the former Radio Nacional transmitter who had surrendered. A few months later, the first transmitter, a 100 kW Harris VP-100B is installed for broadcasting on 1530 kHz medium waves. Four 100 kW Thomcast shortwave transmitters mounted to broadcast between 6 and 21 MHz. The IBB had to build its own power plant, consisting of five diesel generators developing 5MW. The diesel is delivered by a tanker that anchored a kilometer from the site. A pipeline connected the ship and the power plant. Another facility provides the necessary water to the center: domestic and sanitary consumption and for cooling the transmitters. The IBB Relay Center in São Tomé was established to ensure the dissemination of VOA programs in English, French, Portuguese, Hausa, Kirundi and Swahili to Africa. Subsequently the medium-wave transmitter the 100 kW “Harris” transmitter was dedicated to broadcasting on tropical waves in the 60-meter band. In 2003, a new building was installed on the seafront to house a new 600 kW transmitter that took over the Harris at 1530 kHz. Two trellis antennas ensure broadcasting as the old antenna was already out of use, ravaged by corrosion following the marine climate. IBB staff also operate a medium-wave transmitter “Harris” of 20 kW at 945 kHz connected to an omnidirectional antenna for Radio Nacional de São Tomé e Principe. Enormous directional antennas form a circle pointing in NNO directions from NE to SE. Beams can rotate up to +/- 24°, adjust height and width of beam by changing the phase. There are 15 dipole curtain antennas supported by 18 rows.
After placing the 25.72 acres in the middle of commercial development in their Audacy Atlas divestiture group in early 2023, Audacy has proposed relocating Sports “670 The Score” WSCR and News 780 WBBM Chicago. Both stations would move to the tower site of Salem Media Group’s 1160 WYLL Chicago where currently two of the four towers at the site are unused after WYLL moved its nighttime array to a separate site in 2007. WBBM and WSCR would share one tower with WSCR remaining at 50kW day/night, while WBBM would increase power to 45kW day and 43kW night. The move would mark the second time in a decade that WBBM has relocated. It began broadcasting from the tower of WSCR in 2019 after its home of 75 years was sold to a real estate developer for $46 million. At that time WBBM dropped from 50kW to 35kW day/42kW night, but with no reduction in coverage, just as the new proposal does. The current WBBM/WSCR site on 375 E Army Trail Road in Bloomingdale IL is also home to Spanish Broadcasting Systems’ “La Ley 107.9” WLEY-FM Aurora. https://radioinsight.com/headlines/276387/fcc-report-extra-wbbm-wscr-on-the-move/
Starting July 29, CityNews 1130 will be 1130 News Radio Vancouver. While our name and colours might be slightly different, our promise to deliver quality, accurate, and local breaking news, traffic, and weather remains the same. 1130 News Radio is Vancouver’s trusted news station. The more you listen, the more you’ll know. Listen for Traffic and Weather, together every 10 minutes on the ones, as well as Traffic Alerts in between when things happen. We also have your Breaking News covered on-air and online, with breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox. You can still catch us on 1130 AM radio, online at vancouver.citynews.ca, and on all your streaming devices. Source: vancouver.citynews.ca
CANNIBAL CME ALERT: Multiple CMEs are heading toward Earth following a series of strong M-class solar flares this weekend. Two of the CMEs may be merging to form a potent Cannibal CME. The action begins on July 30th and 31st when the CMEs are expected to arrive, possibly sparking strong G3-class geomagnetic storms. Full story @ Spaceweather.com.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. If you haven’t yet heard VOA on 1530kHz from Sao Tome, stop looking. Yesterday was its last broadcast day … as well as all the other VOA HF transmissions from this site. Gone … poof! I am told that other cuts have been made that will become public at a later date.
Time to get real — shortwave radio has been dying for a very long time and MW is not very far behind. The listening hobby may continue but it will never be a ‘growing’ hobby again. I’m sure you knew all this somewhere inside but neither you nor I liked what ‘extinction’ felt like.
