Frequency / Call Sign / Name change

Australia

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As part of the process of changing from AM to FM, 2GN Goulburn 1368 has changed callsign to 2GBN, which also currently applies to the AM licence. This will be the case for 107.7 MHz Goulburn and 106.1 Crookwell (not sure if they have started yet, Will could probably advise). 1368 still appears on, at least I can hear something there at carrier level.

Richard Jary to ICDX-AM@groups.io (2022-03-25)

Canberra KiwiSDR heard it ID as 2GN. Acc. to Wikipedia 106.1 MHz is on.

Mauno Ritola to ICDX-AM@groups.io (2022-03-25)

Well that is the official callsign change according to the ACMA database, they may still ID different. 1368 is very noisy here for some reason, it’s about 170km from home. But yes just heard a 2GN ID on air. Where 666 Canberra somewhat further away is much cleaner, and 1494 Albury at about 460km is very clean from a similar direction and a lot further.
The FM outlets when they come on air will be blocked by semi locals.

Richard Jary to ICDX-AM@groups.io (2022-03-25)

United States

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A Northwest News Battle Arises In Seattle As KOMO Is Set To Become KNWN.
A pair of Seattle stations are entering a battle for the name “Northwest News“.
As first reported here in our December 31 Domain Insight, Lotus Communications is rebranding News 1000 KOMO Seattle/97.7 KOMO-FM Oakville WA as KNWN. The move was a requirement of Lotus’ acquisition last year of the Seattle cluster from Sinclair. Sinclair retained the rights to the KOMO calls for its KOMO-TV. The KNWN calls will take effect on Wednesday, February 2 along with a brand change to “Northwest News Radio“.
KOMO Program Director Rick Van Cise told the Seattle Times, “There won’t be any difference in the sound of the radio station. The personalities, the reporters are all staying the same.”
Since our original report in December, which was triggered by the FCC inadvertently making the KNWN calls active earlier than Lotus requested, a Seattle competitor has also staked a claim to the “Northwest News” identity. Bonneville News/Talk 97.3 KIRO-FM Tacoma tweaked its on-air branding from “KIRO News 97.3” to “KIRO NewsRadio 97.3” and has begun positioning as “Your Northwest News Station” as of this week.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/219196/a-northwest-news-battle-arises-in-seattle-as-komo-is-set-to-become-knwn/

Lance Venta, RadioInsight (2022-01-28)

Italy

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AM Italia QSY now from 918 to 1323 kHz.
We just received the formal authorization to use 1323 kHz. We’ll start testing as of tonight, and will drop 918 kHz.

Alfredo Cotroneo to WOR iog (2022-01-19)

Monitoring via nearby Noale SDR from 1655 tune-in, 918 is off. *1656, 1323 comes on with English ID as if on 918, “have a nice listening“! Lots more off & on at lower and higher levels past 1708, testing.
1323 co-channel, not much heard but listed in WRTH: two UKs of 20 and 500 watts; 50 kW Iran in Azeri at 0030-2030; 15 kW from Romania, see if you can figure out the schedule from page 334; 10 kW from Tanzania, 1500-1800 only with CRI English relay; China with 9 stations totaling 1360 kW! plus more minor stations in Asia and Pacific.
1323 ex-918 will of course affect WORLD OF RADIO times: Fri 1915 & 2130, Sun 2100 UT

Glenn Hauser, WOR iog (2022-01-19)

Netherlands

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Radio Emmeloord struggling with here AM outlet.
After nearly a week,  the Dutch LPAM station, Radio Emmeloord will return to the 747 Khz, from Pietersbierum in the western part of the provence of Friesland. Radio Emmeloord got a permission to start to use there earlier frequency of 1224 Khz., using the location in Pietersbierum. A week or so ago transmissions were started, but then still on the 747, the frequency on which the transmitter and antenna were tuned. After the frequency change to 1224, the 11th of Decembre, transmission quality was much more lower. The modulation was bad, and the signallevel was lower.
Also complaints came in of interference of foreign radiostations. Probably side-splatter from Absolute Radio from the UK on 1215 Khz.
Earlier this week on Monday one of the initiators Dick Offringa of Radio Emmeloord told in his own radioshow that  they were planning to bring there own AM transmitter, with a good old endstage with tubes, to Pietersbierum. And also better tuning of the whole antennasystem should take place. This plan is cancelled and as from tomorrow, Thursday the 16th of Decembre, 12.00 hours local time Radio Emmeloord will return to the 747 Khz.
Reception of the 747 was, and will be, on nearby KiWiSDR receivers quit well. Also propagation over the North Sea will be possible. Pietersbierum is near the coast of Friesland. Only disadvantage of the former Jumbo 747 from Dutch radio is that Radio Emmeloord will get into a co-channel battle with MCB Radio, a LPAM station near the city of Leiden. Especially in the western part of the Netherlands.

Willem Prins – Paterswolde / The Netherlands (2021-12-15)