Radio in a Catastrophic State
Despite repeated promises every year that the facilities will be renewed, funding has yet to materialize.
The international service of Radio Mongolia has suffered a complete shutdown of its shortwave transmitter following a major breakdown. The situation is no better on the domestic network.
A live television debate program has just examined the state of radio broadcasting. For an hour, those responsible for the transmitters presented the condition of the facilities, their inability to obtain spare parts, and above all, power tubes. Some transmitters are now broadcasting more noise than sound. All the listeners present in the studio expressed their indignation and called for the preservation of the longwave service, which no other system can replace given the vast size of the country.
The program was organized just as negotiations were beginning regarding future assistance from Japan’s KDDI Fund for Information and Communications.
SHORTWAVE BROADCASTS
The international service began in 1964 and was transmitted using former Soviet transmitters from the Khonkhor transmitting station, located about 25 km east of Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia.
In 2003, the transmitting center was re-equipped by NEC with funding from the Japanese government. A 500 kW transmitter, consisting of two 250 kW units, was intended for the Voice of Mongolia, while a 50 kW transmitter was allocated to the second program of Mongolian Radio on 7260 kHz.
Due to the aging of the equipment, only one of the two 250 kW units was kept in service, while the other was used as a source of spare parts. The shortwave transmitters have now reached the end of their service lives.
Nevertheless, let us hope to hear the Voice of Mongolia on 12015 and 12085 kHz, depending on the time of day.
LONGWAVE BROADCASTS
The situation is no better here. Assistance has been requested from several countries, but without results.
The transmitter at Ulgii (Ölgii), 209 kHz (48°57’25”N, 89°58’13”E), dates from 1965 and now operates at only 30 kW.
Those at Altai, 227 kHz (46°19’11”N, 96°15’07”E), and Dalanzadgad, 209 kHz (43°31’55”N, 104°24’42”E), date from 1978 and operate at only 75 kW.
The Khonkhor transmitter serving Ulaanbaatar, 164 kHz (47°48’01”N, 107°11’04”E), dates from 1984. It is the only one that, when everything is working properly, operates at 500 kW.
Only the Choibalsan transmitter on 209 kHz (48°00’21”N, 114°26’08”E) is relatively recent. It is a TRAM 150 installed in 2012, currently operating at the reduced power of 75 kW.
FM NETWORK
In recent years, Mongolia has installed FM transmitters as part of the Emergency Warning Broadcast System, funded by Japan’s KDDI Fund.
Unfortunately, FM coverage can never replace the coverage provided by longwave across such a vast country.
Atsuhiko Takezawa to Short-Wave Fan facebook group (2026-09-14)
