Unid

Re. a recent discussion in WOR iog
522 kHz
Already in the last days of June 2023, German short wave listener and programme producer Nouri Streichert (Musikallee and Steel Guitar on Channel 292) noted a station on 522 kHz which rebroadcast various international programmes in German. These included stations such as Radio Romania International, Schweizer Rundfunk and Hitradio Namibia. The station was heard in his Hildesheim area (Lower Saxony) and on a WebSDR in Magdeburg (neighbouring Saxony-Anhalt) but not much farther.

520 kHz
By the way, 520 kHz used to be a German frequency because the Copenhague Plan (1948) did not allocate many/enough frequencies to Germany. The Germans, who were only represented by the Allied powers, called it „Wellendemontage“. In response Germany moved to FM very early which gave them an advantage in the development of receivers. Stations in West Germany retained medium wave stations and to a smaller extent short wave stations to reach out to Germans east of the Iron Curtain. On both sides longwave was used to reach out to the lost brethren although neither West- nor East Germany had been allocated a channel.
In the course of 1999, local transmitters in Hof and Würzburg (200 watts each) switched from 520 to 729 kHz. These two stations of Bayerischer Rundfunk were the remnants of what were once numerous filler stations on this unusual frequency, the use of which dates back to the immediate post-war period. At the end of the 20th century, the frequency 520 kHz was below the actual medium wave range and could no longer be received by many radios.

Hansjoerg Biener to WOR iog (2023-09-14)

Estonia

Translated from French:
The most powerful medium-wave transmitter in the Baltics reaches Russia. Radio Eli was a project launched in 1999, with the aim of broadcasting on medium waves to a Russian-speaking audience who needed the gospel after 70 years of an atheist regime.
The transmitting location is located north of Tartu, near the village of Kavastu (58°25’04.2″N 27°05’59.8″E) In 2001, a wooden building was constructed to house a 50 kW transmitter Harris MW50 and two two hundred meter high lattice towers were installed by Christian volunteers from Britain and America.
On October 3, 2001, Radio Eli began broadcasting, on medium wave 1035 kHz, a two-hour Russian-language program from Tartu Family Radio.
A month later, daily broadcasting increased to 14 hours a day and, on January 13, 2002, the transmitter was on the air 24 hours a day. Several producers of religious programs joined the project.
The only weak point was the Harris transmitter, which had been offered by Blue Ridge Broadcasting: it was already old and had difficulty keeping up!
In 2008, the relatively inefficient transmitter was replaced by a 100 Kw Trans Radio Sender System (formerly Telefunken), model TRAM100 with transistors. The official opening of a new 100 KW medium wave transmitter did not leave TWR indifferent, especially since it had been warned that it would no longer be able to transmit from stations located inside Russia.
Trans World Radio was going to lack the means of broadcasting in Northern Europe, so it wanted to join the project and even increase the power to 200 kW.
As a reminder, TWR is the most powerful religious broadcasting organization. It broadcast programs in 200 languages in 160 countries.
TWR began broadcasting in 1954, from the international zone of Tangier in Morocco with a transmitter of only 2.5 W. Expelled from Morocco when the State canceled private licenses, TWR then established itself in Monaco from where it broadcast in OM and OC.
Given Radio Eli’s lack of resources, Trans World Radio launched a global campaign to collect donations to finance a second TRAM 100 transmitter to complement the previous one, an effort worth $409,000.
The second transmitter was financed by TWR and installed by volunteers from America’s missionary organization European Christian Radio Project (ECRP). The company Kintronic Labs Inc. is responsible for the antenna.
On May 10, 2010, the work was completed and Radio Eli TWR inaugurated the transmitter.
Initially, the total power was limited to 125 kW due to weaknesses in the power supply. This transmitter subsequently provided additional capabilities and listening tests and measurements confirmed the improvement in the quality of the radio signal over a wide area in the European part of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and even the Ural Mountains when the spread is good.
Also in 2010, a second Russian-language program began to be broadcast on FM. Nowadays, on a national level, Radio Eli also covers 80% of the Estonian territory with its network of FM transmitters covering approximately 80%.
This frequency made it possible to cover the entire northeastern part of Estonia, which led to the opening of a studio in Jõhvi. In 2011, the Radio Angel studio in Pskov began broadcasting live on the radio station.
In 2019, TWR wanted to withdraw from the project to focus on the Mayak station in Grigoriopol to broadcast in Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian. TWR accounted for a third of the station’s broadcast volume and financial resources.
Luckily, Radio Eli found a tenant: USAGM, the United States General Media Agency, rents the transmitter to broadcast from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Radio Svoboda programs, produced by Radio Free Europe – Radio Liberty in Prague. For its part, TWR remained with a limited number of programs.
The increase in the price of electricity forces the radio to reduce its power. Radio Eli broadcasts its broadcasts with 50 or 100 kW during its broadcasts. It offers power of 50 – 100 – 150 or 200 kW to the tenants’ choice: this is the case for TWR and Radio Svoboda broadcasts, broadcast with 200 kW. Currently, the National Service and the Russian Service are divided into two separate entities.
Radio Magazine, every day, a development of news from the world of radio

Radio Magazine FB group (2023-09-11)

Ireland

SUMMERHILL COMMUNITY CELEBRATES DEMOLITION OF ATLANTIC 252,
Just two days after the demolition of the former medium-wave transmitter mast of RTÉ in Offaly, yesterday marked the end of the 248-meter-high transmission mast in Clarkstown (Summerhill), which was built in the late 1980s for the legendary Irish long-wave station, Atlantic 252. Among the local community, there was loud applause as the construction of the transmission site was highly controversial at the time.
Earlier this year, RTÉ confirmed that it would discontinue broadcasting on the longwave (252 kHz) frequency of Radio 1 on Friday, April 14th, due to the rising costs and the unsustainable nature of longwave transmission. The longwave transmitter accounted for 2.5 percent of the total energy consumption of the Irish public broadcaster. Originally, the longwave transmitter was set to be shut down on October 27, 2014, but the decision was suspended under pressure from older Irish residents living in Great Britain.
Located 3.5 kilometers east of the village of Summerhill, the 248-meter-high transmission mast of this station was twice the height of the Spire in Dublin. The construction of the Moynalvey transmitter faced strong opposition from the local community in the quiet countryside of Meath. A bitter four-year battle ensued, ultimately reaching the Irish Supreme Court.
The transmission site was originally built for the commercial radio station Atlantic 252, which broadcasted from 1989 to 2001. The initiative came from Radio Tara, a joint venture between RTÉ and Radio Luxembourg. When the proposal to build the mast and transmitter was first introduced 37 years ago, it immediately encountered furious resistance from the small local community in Meath. They raised €50,000 to challenge the permit through the courts. The battle lasted for over four years.
Hundreds of people attended meetings during that period at the Moynalvey Community Centre. Concerns were raised about health effects, the physical dangers of the structure, visual impact, interference with other communication services, and property devaluation. The mast was planned to be located just 1 km from Moynalvey Primary School.In the end, the local community lost the case when the Irish Supreme Court rejected the High Court’s decision. Local newspapers reported that the ruling “left a community shattered and dismayed.” It seemed that the ordinary citizen had no real rights against the powers of state institutions and businesses, which could afford to fight all opposition with unlimited resources.
Atlantic 252 commenced broadcasting in September 1989 and was received all over Great Britain and beyond. The signal was even picked up in Brazil during the night. On the morning of September 1st at 8:00 local time, the very first song played on Atlantic 252 was “Sowing the Seeds of Love” by Tears for Fears, followed by “Monkey” by George Michael. The studios were located 12 km away at Mornington House, Summerhill Road, Trim. Atlantic 252 also had sales offices and studios at 74 Newman Street in London.
Atlantic 252 ceased broadcasting on December 20, 2001. The sports radio station TEAMtalk 252 took over the frequency in 2002, but that story lasted only a few months. The transmission site was later acquired by RTÉ Networks Limited (now 2RN) for the broadcasts of RTÉ Radio 1.
https://www.trinitybugle.com/techscience/summerhill-community-celebrates-demolition-of-atlantic-252.html

Patrick O’Brien in Trinity Bugle (2023-07-29)

Brazil

At 88, “A Voz do Brasil” draws new listeners, keeps loyal audience.
The radio broadcast promotes citizenship, university professor says.

Published on 24/07/2023 – 11:48 By Lucas Pordeus Leon – Brasilia:
https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/en/geral/noticia/2023-07/voz-do-brasil-draws-new-listeners-keeps-loyal-audience-88
Radio broadcast A Voz do Brasil (“The Voice of Brazil”) is celebrating its 88th anniversary. The program is the oldest still on air in the Southern Hemisphere, according to the Guinness Book of Records.
The program was created on July 22, 1935, by then-President Getulio Vargas, and its transmission became mandatory for all stations in 1938, during the Estado Novo regime. In 2015, A Voz do Brasil was allowed to be aired from 7pm to 11pm, from Monday to Friday.
In the first decades of its existence, when radio was the main means of communication in Brazil, the program, then called Hora do Brasil (“Brazil Hour,” or “Brazil Time”), was the main source of information
about the government for a large number of people, especially in rural areas. In 1962, the Legislative Branch took up a section of the program, which today also presents reports from the Judiciary branch
and the Federal Court of Accounts.
Despite the advance of television and the internet, A Voz do Brasil retains its loyal audience, which includes 77-year-old retiree Raimundo Nonato de Oliveira. He says he learned about the Vietnam War, World War II, and the first man on the moon through the show.
“We learn about things like education, health care, and transportation. It’s a general overview of the country. Even today, it’s A Voz do Brazil that keeps folks in the woods, in the countryside, and in the rubber plantations informed,” he said. Nonato lives in the northern state of Acre, in the Brazilian Amazon.
The program also brings news to younger generations. “A Voz do Brazil is part of my life,” said 29-year-old journalist and quilombola Janaina Neri, who lives in the state of Bahia, in the Northeast. She said her community did not have electricity until she was 18, so the broadcast has always been one of the chief sources of information in the quilombo.
The last survey on the program’s audience, published in 2015, reports that 32 percent of Brazilians listened to A Voz do Brasil at least once a week. The study was conducted by Ibope Inteligencia, at the request of the president’s office.
Communication Professor at the University of Brasilia (UnB) Fernando Oliveira Paulino pointed out that A Voz do Brasil promotes citizenship as it brings the federal capital closer to the most remote areas.
“The program has always been essential in reporting the inner activities of the Executive, Judiciary, and Legislative branches. It’s still alive today even after the latest technological changes because it lets the people know exactly how our rulers are taking action,” he noted.

Transparency
A Voz do Brasil is a necessity because it brings transparency to acts of government, says EBC President Helio Doyle, further describing the program as “heritage of Brazilian radio.” EBC has 25 minutes allocated to the Executive in the transmission.
“It’s one of the government’s tools for keeping a direct contact with the people. It’s come under criticism for some time, right? It was as if the ruler, whoever they are, should not address people directly; as if there had to be a middleman,” he argued, adding that the government needs a direct communication channel with citizens.
Translation: Fabricio Ferreira –  Edition: Juliana Andrade

Mike Cooper to WOR iog (2023-07-26)

Poland

Pirate radio in Poland explored.
In this episode of The Debrief, we meet radio historian Dr Urszula Doliwa from the University of Warmia and Mazury.

The history of pirate radio in Poland is slightly different to the stories many know about the famous pirate stations of the 1960s and 70s such as Radio Caroline. Here, pirate radio was more a fight for free speech than looking for the latest music trends…

Listen to podcast here: https://www.thefirstnews.com/article/pirate-radio-in-poland-explored-40080

Mike Terry to WOR iog (2023-07-24)

United Kingdom

A Sad Footnote To This Week’s 1170 kHz AM Transmitter Closure At Foxhall Heath, Ipswich, UK.

Back in 1991, the then Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) regulator carried out AM Stereo tests at Radio Orwell’s AM transmitter on 1170 kHz.

The IBA adopted the CQUAM standard for stereo testing with the ambition of deploying an AM Stereo enhancement to low power AM transmitters within selected Independent Local Radio (ILR) areas.

Back in the late 1980s, there was a revival of AM listening, encouraged by what was then recent programme service splits between FM and AM output within each ILR area. Previously, AM and FM output simulcasted programmes in each ILR area. The FM/AM programme splits effectively doubled the services available for listeners within each ILR area.

The IBA’s AM stereo tests at Foxhall Heath were deemed a success by the authority, but the government of the day did not rubber stamp the IBA’s proposal.

Willie Bone (2023-06-29)

United Kingdom

University Radio York switching of 1350 kHz with an 8 hour tribute.

UK: 1350AM: The Last Hurrah!
Sunday, 25 Jun 2023, 10:00
Listen as URY presenters from over the years return for one final broadcast on 1350AM.
https://ury.org.uk/schedule/shows/timeslots/151472/
University York Radio waves goodbye to AM transmission. 22/06/2023
By Nadia Sayed

On Sunday, 25 June 2023, University Radio York, the university’s student-run radio station, will be switching off its AM transmitter for the final time after having it on for 55 years.he station has been broadcasting to students at the University of York since 1968, utilising different AM frequencies. 1968 was also the year which saw the station become the first legal independent radio station in the whole of the UK. […] 
Shortly before the turn of the millennium, URY moved onto 1350 AM and has stayed at this AM ever since.
After completing a one-year trial during the 2021-2022 academic year, Ofcom approved URY’s FM Restricted Service Licence to cover campus for five years until August 2027.
Harvey Mellor, who is Station Manager at URY, said, Broadcasting on AM has been an important part of URY’s image and sound for more than five decades. With AM radios now used less and less, broadcasting on FM and online is the way forward. […]
https://www.nouse.co.uk/articles/2023/06/22/university-york-radio-waves-goodbye-to-am-transmission

URY has a rich history of pioneering broadcasting, commencing under a test licence as Radio Heslington in 1967, becoming Radio York in 1968 and culminating in 1969 as the first fully-licensed legal independent radio station in the UK with an inaugural broadcast by John Peel.
Over the years, we have been fortunate enough to receive numerous awards, including BBC Radio 1 Student Station of the Year in 2005, and many awards from the Student Radio Association.
At URY we cover a large range of campus events including Student Union Elections, but we also host our own charity events, such as the 40-hour broadcast in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support back in March 2013, where we raised over £1,800. In June 2016, we went a step further and hosted URY’s longest ever show “URY 101”, live from Greg’s Place for 101 hours, all in aid of Yorkshire Cancer Research raising a massive £1,700.
We pride ourselves at URY for running all the technical aspects of the radio station ourselves. In summer 2015, the internal audio routing was completely overhauled and converted to audio over IP by the engineering team in a project known as “Beat the Buzz”.
In 2018 we were awarded a grant by the University of York of £40,000 to upgrade our studios and upgrade them we did. Brand new audio equipment, a total interior re-design, and fancy red/blue colour schemes to match, the 40K project, completed Christmas 2019 and fronted by some of URY’s most dedicated members, allowed us to produce highly polished material while also giving the broader community in the University a place to create their own audio content.
Over the decades we’ve enjoyed ourselves doing all manner of ridiculous things on and off-air. We pride ourselves on our innovative approach to radio that you will struggle to find in the industry. Luckily these ideas are recognised by industry professionals by a plethora of awards. In 2020, nearly 15 years since our last win for gold in the category – we won the gold award for Best Student Radio Station in the country at the Student Radio Awards. The judges praised the attention we gave to our audience and the novel ideas we pushed to the forefront of our content.
In 2021, we were given a license to broadcast on FM at the same time as AM, getting us onto both 1350AM and 88.3FM.
https://ury.org.uk/about/

via Dr Hansjoerg Biener (2023-06-25)

Russia

Tyumen 57°10’14″N 65°29’54″E
SW/MW radiocenter is now gone.
Use Google streetview. You can see many SW antennas on small poles. Some of them are cage antennas (you can see it next to the gas station). https://web.archive.org/web/20100902152325/http://www.mwlist.org/mwlist_quick_and_easy.php?area=1&kHz=9999
In 2010, MW was 891 kHz 50 kW. SW 4895 kHz

For me, the MW antenna looks like this one in Czech republic.
https://www.radiomuseum.org/forum/rundfunk_in_ostboehmen_sender_standort_steery.html

I don’t know the exact type of this antenna and I don’t know about the manufacturer.
IIRC there are similar ones in Russia, but I would need to find out the location out of the many I saved.

Marco (2023-06-20)

Canada

Several Canadian MW Stations To Close Down
https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/bell-cutting-1-300-positions-shuttering-six-radio-stations-1.6440794

Among them is the old CFRN 1260 in Edmonton, Alberta. That station’s been on the air for as long as I can remember, going back to the early 1960s.
I suspect that it might be back, but with new owners and a different format. That’s what happened to CJCA 930 when the station went belly-up several years ago. After a brief silence, it was on the air again but as a religious station.

Here’s some background on CFRN 1260:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CFRN_(AM)

Another Alberta station that just went off the air as part of those closures is CKMX 1060 in Calgary, which I first heard more than 45 years ago as CFCN:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CKMX

73 Bernhard Jatzeck to WOR iog  (2023-06-15)