Kossuth Rádió suspended its broadcasts at 07.07.2026 16:00 local time, with the following message “Public media cannot lie. We apologize for doing this for many years! Public media is now being transformed to be independent and credible in the future. The news service is temporarily suspended. Stay with us!”. Since then Bartók Rádió can be heard both on 540 kHz and on the FM network of Kossuth Rádió. Bartók Rádió is the 3rd channel of Hungarian state radio with classical music and drama programs. The suspension is for one month according to the current news.

Tringer László HNG (2026-07-08)

Campaign launched to preserve BBC medium wave broadcasts.
(Translated from Dutch https://www.radiotrefpunt.nl/entry/10289-actie-gestart-om-bbc-middengolfuitzendingen-te-behouden/)

A week after the BBC ended broadcasts on the 198 kHz longwave transmitter , a new campaign has been launched to secure the continued existence of medium wave broadcasts. Through a petition, the British government, together with the BBC, is being called upon to preserve the nationwide medium wave services, as, according to the initiators, they continue to play an important role in the dissemination of news and information, particularly in remote areas and during emergencies.

The campaign focuses on the national broadcasts of BBC Radio 5 Live on 693 and 909 kHz and the regional medium wave services of BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Radio Wales. According to the initiators, there is a possibility that the national medium wave broadcasts will disappear from 2027. Although the BBC mentioned this possibility as early as 2022, no new decisions have been announced since then.

The activists point out that medium wave has a wide range with relatively few transmission installations. 22 transmitters are sufficient for the nationwide coverage of BBC Radio 5 Live, whereas more than 200 transmitters are needed for comparable FM coverage. By using two frequencies, overlapping coverage areas are utilized to limit mutual interference.

According to the campaign, medium wave offers several advantages over FM, DAB, and internet radio. The signal covers large parts of the United Kingdom and reaches areas where digital radio and FM are less readily available. Additionally, a medium wave transmitter continues to function when local power outages lead to the failure of mobile networks, internet connections, and FM and DAB broadcasts. As a result, the transmitter can remain an important source of information during emergencies.

According to the initiators, the existing infrastructure also plays a role. The current medium-wave transmitters are more modern than the former long-wave installations and could remain in use for years without major modifications. Moreover, a nationwide medium-wave service would consume less energy and entail lower broadcasting costs than a comparable FM network.

The campaign follows shortly after the BBC switched off the additional medium-wave transmitters in Redruth and Folkestone this month. According to the broadcaster, these transmitters were not part of a nationwide phase-out of medium-wave broadcasts. They were intended to resolve local reception problems caused by interference from mainland Europe. According to the BBC, listeners in the Folkestone region can continue to receive BBC Radio 5 Live via 909 kHz from other transmitters.

Proponents of preservation further point out that many older radios, including car radios, still use the AM band. According to them, medium wave remains a reliable reception option, especially for listeners following sports or news while on the go, certainly in rural areas where mobile coverage and digital radio are not always optimal.

The initiators also refer to the United States, where legislation is being prepared to retain AM reception in new cars due to its importance during emergencies. They advocate that the British government, during the upcoming review of radio policy, also stipulate that at least one nationwide BBC medium wave service be retained. Additionally, they ask the BBC to continue regularly announcing the medium wave frequencies used on the radio, so that listeners know where these broadcasts can be received.

In addition to the new petition for the preservation of BBC medium wave broadcasts, an earlier petition calling for the return of BBC long wave broadcasts in some form also remains available.

Via Nico from Gouda HOL (2026-07-07)

1100 KFAX San Francisco, CA – 2022 STA extended to continue broadcasting at quarter of its 50kW from a temporary site while new facilities are being built.

1120 KMOX St Louis, MO – Audacy has sold it St. Louis stations, including 1120 KMOX to
Hoffman Media Group, subject to FCC approval.

1180 KOFI Kalispell, MT – STA extension for just 1kW – see below.

Big cuts at iHeart Media
iHeart Media (formerly Clear Channel Communications) owns more stations than any other US radio group, with 860 stations (AM and FM) serving 160 markets. In contrast, Audacy (formerly Entercom) in second place owns 220 stations in 44 markets.
In late June, iHeart began a cost-cutting programme {sic} with the aim of saving $50m by the end of 2026. The result has been redundancy for local station staff at very many locations. In some, all local on-air staff have been cut. In larger markets, only a few local presenters remain.
Many of the staff concerned have been with iHeart for a long time – some over thirty years. One example is BJ Holiday (pictured,
courtesy iHeart Media) who has been laid off after 41 years with iHeart, most recently presenting the mid-day slot on 1600 KATZ St. Louis, MO. (RadioInsight, Audacy and iHeart websites and own research)

Red Apple’s Worldwide News Network launched.
On 23rd May, Red Apple Media launched a new Network News service, partly to fill the void created by the cessation of CBS News which closed the previous day. Red Apple’s owner is business tycoon John Catsimatidis, known as a Republican and Trump supporter.
Catsimatidis said that he grew up “in the world with Walter Cronkite, 92% of people believe what Walter Cronkite says. These people are entitled to the truth”. “We are creating a powerful, around-the-clock newsroom designed to compete at the highest
level of broadcast news. We’re looking forward to our expansion in the European markets”.
The network has attracted several ex-CBS journalists including the well-regarded Lee Harris who has been quickly promoted to Senior Vice President of News and Programming.
The networked news begins with a four-chord sounder then “This is the Worldwide News Network”. It provides a top-of-the-hour six minute news block but with one-minute ad blocks at hh:03 and hh:05. At the bottom of the hour a two-minute block is offered, one minute of news followed by a one-minute ad block.
Sample audio of networked news, including sounder, can be heard here:
https://www.redappleaudionetworks.com/worldwide-news-network/
Red Apple own 770 WABC /1700 WRCR where this news can be heard. Also, so far, on 1100 KFNX Phoenix, AZ.

Meanwhile other major news stations that previously carried CBS news have changed as follows:
ABC:
Audacy stations that previously carried CBS switched to ABC on 21st May.
560 WGAN Portland, ME
830 WCCO Minneapolis, MN
740 KCBS San Francisco, CA
780 WBBM Chicago,IL
870 WWL New Orleans, LA *
950 WWJ Detroit, MI
1010 WINS New York, NY
1020 KDKA Pittsburgh, PA *
1060 KYW Philadelphia, PA **
1070 KNX Los Angeles, CA
1080 KRLD Dallas, TX
1080 WTIC Hartford, CT
1120 KMOX St.Louis, MO *
1130 WBBR New York, NY
1210 WPHT Philadelphia, PA *
1500 WFED Washington, DC
NBC:
610 KDAL Duluth, MN
650 WSM Nashville, TN
Sources: Barrett Media, Radiodiscussions.com, RadioInsight, Worldwide News Network;
picture of Walter Cronkite courtesy of CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images.

1180 KOFI Kalipsell {sic}, MT – progress towards a return to full power.
KOFI is licensed for 50kW day / 10kW at night station. The FCC has granted a further extension of its STA to operate at just 1kW from a back-up transmitter after a fire destroyed the main transmitter in November 2024. In its latest application to extent its STA, KOFI state “As reported previously, a fire destroyed the KOFI (AM) transmitter building and transmitter. KOFI has made substantial progress since the last STA request was filed. KOFI has completed construction of the new transmitter building and hopes to have the transmitter equipment working soon.”

Will an AM station be reassigned a three-letter callsign?
590 KXSP Omaha, NE is currently silent. Its owners, Summit Media, plan to sell it to Walnut Media. The sale has been approved by the FCC. Contingent on completion of the sale, Walnut Media (“Walnut”) have applied to the FCC to grant the station a callsign
change to WOW.
This station held this call between 1926 and 1999. The call was granted to the station’s owner “Woodmen of the World” in 1926. Woodmen of the World is a not-for-profit philanthropic life assurance company. There’s an interesting station history here:
https://wowradioonline.net/wow-history
In 1999 “a well-meaning but misguided programme director” (Walnut’s words) applied to change the calls to KOMJ, changing again in 2005 to KXSP.
47 CFR §73.3550 forbids the allocation of new three-letter calls. It also forbids allocation of new W-calls west of the Mississippi. Walnut has requested that the FCC waive these rules, citing 47 CFR §1.3 which says that a waiver is appropriate “if special circumstances warrant deviation from the general rule and such deviation will serve the public interest”.
Walnut considers that it will “serve the public interest by advancing the Commission’s efforts to preserve and revitalise the AM band”. Walnut “remains deeply committed to preserving the vitality, accessibility and public service mission of the AM band”. It is hoped that the “recognition and nostalgia associated with WOW would help re-engage listeners, strengthen community identity and draw renewed attention to the value of local broadcasting”.
If the sale proceeds, Walnut plan a “modern, compelling format focused on news, sports, information and entertainment that serves the heartland with relevance and integrity”. The waiver request ends: “In an era where local voices matter more than ever, reinstating WOW would symbolise both continuity and renewal – connecting a proud past with a purposeful future”. See Stop Press note at the end of this column! {viz.:}

Walnut Media USA announced on 1st July that silent KXSP will return to the airwaves on Monday 6th July. Walnut say
that FCC has granted their waiver request and the station will use the historic 100-year-old WOW call letters. As of 2nd July, the FCC database still shows KXSP and the callsign request status as “pending”. WOW will carry a mix of local sports programming, nationally-syndicated ESPN and an evening talk show. WOW will be the home of University of Nebraska “Husker” college sports. The return of WOW will take the number of US MW stations with three-letter calls to 53.
https://www.walnutmediausa.com/am-590-wow-historic-signal-returns

Medium Wave News 72/03 July/August 2026 via WOR iog (2026-07-07)