Regarding “BBC starts a new Arabic broadcast” (https://mediumwave.info/2024/12/13/cyprus-25/):
Most of it is English. Arabic has today (the first day of these extended MW transmissions?) been noted only between 1500 and 1530 UTC, so still appears to be on the schedule introduced in November 2023 on 639 kHz, 0500-0530 and 1500-1530.
https://bsky.app/profile/arniedxer.bsky.social/post/3ld6zdkfhfk2i
720 kHz was not in use since January 2023, so it’s no surprise that it was not properly set up today.
What would also need clarification is what became of the other transmissions on 639 kHz: Al Arabiya, which from July 2023 had booked the airtime between 1900 and 2100 UTC, and FMM’s Monte Carlo Doualiya which from December 2023 used 1600-1700 UTC. I have not seen any further reports about or mentions of either broadcast. Will try to check it out if no one else does…
Concerning the difference between 639 and 720 kHz:
https://bsky.app/profile/newsguy.bsky.social/post/3lcxbijxhds2r
Kai Ludwig (2024-12-13)