Radio Nueva Esperanza new from Bolivia on 6586 kHz shortwave

There is new hope for DXers hunting Bolivian stations: Radio Nueva Esperanza from El Alto, Departamento de La Paz, has been heard on the frequency of 6586.1 kHz. The station was first logged by Rogildo Fontenelle Aragão in Cochabamba, Bolivia, on May 18 at 1205 UTC. 6585 kHz is announced as the nominal frequency of this new Christian shortwave station. The station is simulcasting on 1520 kHz mediumwave, which is listed as a construction permit in the World Radio TV Handbook 2003 with an outdated address. Aragão later observed that the station broadcasts at 1100-0400 UTC. The address of the station is Av. Rául Salmón, 92, entre Calle 4 y 5, Zona 12 de Octubre, El Alto, La Paz, Bolivia. Telephone +591-2-282-5269. In the same location there is also a bookshop Libreria Nueva Esperanza, which is often mentioned in the programs. A station identification of Radio Nueva Esperanza can be found in the DXing.info audio archive.
(DXing.info, May 18, 2003, last updated September 28)

Radio Farda on 1170 kHz from the United Arab Emirates

IBB's Radio Farda service to Iran has been broadcasting 24 hours a day on a new mediumwave frequency, 1170 kHz, from May 8. According to Radio Netherlands, the transmissions originate from Dabiya in the United Arab Emirates. The same frequency was originally used by U.S.-sponsored Radio Iraq, which has moved to 909 kHz.
(DXing.info, May 18, 2003)

Coalition stations closing down in Iraq

The U.S. media offensive in Iraq is gradually over. Information Radio programs aired by the Commando Solo aircraft and other outlets have no longer been heard on the air in May. Clandestine station Radio Sumer (1584 kHz) has recently been heard only with non-stop music, which is the format adopted by Radio al-Mustaqbal (1575 kHz) already earlier. Voice of the Iraqi Liberation (4025 kHz) from the Iraqi Kurdistan has ceased to broadcast, and the frequency is used only for broadcasts by the Voice of the People of Kurdistan. The DXing.info audio archive contains station identifications of all these stations.
(DXing.info, May 18, 2003)

AFRTS from Iceland back on shortwave

American Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS) has restarted shortwave transmissions from Iceland. Broadcasts from Grindavik in southwestern Iceland have been heard on 13855 kHz USB, serving U.S. ships in the North Atlantic waters. Aside from hosting an important fish processing center, Grindavik is also home to a U.S. military base including a Naval Radio Transmitter Facility (NRTF), located some 20 kilometers from a NATO base in Keflavik. The signal is fed from AFRTS in California, but local announcements can be inserted. The reactivated station was first reported heard on May 3 by Dan Goldfarb and Noel Green in the United Kingdom (DXLD 3-077 and Cumbre DX). Reception reports may be sent by email to Patricia Huizinga, officer-in-charge. A station identification of AFRTS can be found in the DXing.info audio archive.
(DXing.info, May 9, 2003)

Viva AM from the UK soon on 1386 kHz

A new low-power station is set to begin broadcasting from the United Kingdom on May 13, says Chris McWhinnie on BDXC-UK. Viva AM 1386 will be broadcasting from Penketh High School in Warrington on 1386 kHz. The format of the station will be pop, dance and R 'n' B. The address is given as: Heath Road, Penketh, Warrington, WA5 2BY, telephone 01925 722298. Email address given on the site apparently doesn't work, but McWhinnie found another contact email.
(DXing.info, May 9, 2003)

Radio Ribera Sud on 1390 kHz new in Argentina

DXer Marcelo Cornachioni in Argentina has once again been the first to spot a new mediumwave station in his home country. As reported on the ConDig mailing list by Arnaldo Slaen, on 1390 kHz Cornachioni has heard Radio Ribera Sud, which is broadcasting from Ingeniero Budge in the greater Buenos Aires area. The low-power station is broadcasting from an area populated by people who originate from Paraguay.
(DXing.info, May 2, 2003)

RFO St. Pierre permanently off on 1375 kHz mediumwave

The only mediumwave transmitter in St. Pierre et Miquelon has gone off the air. Réseau France Outre-mer (RFO) in St. Pierre on 1375 kHz was closed down on March 31, 2003. RFO St. Pierre operated with a transmitter power of 20 kW. This was the only station in North America transmitting on a frequency not consistent with the 10-kiloherz interval used on the Western hemisphere. RFO transmissions from the French island off the coast of North America now continue only on the FM band and on the Internet.
(DXing.info, May 2, 2003)

Merger in Germany creates Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg

Sender Freies Berlin (SFB) and Ostdeutscher Rundfunk Brandenburg (ORB) have merged and formed Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB). Starting May 1, RBB is a new public broadcasting station for both Berlin and the state of Brandenburg.
      SFB was created already in 1954 to broadcast western programs to East Germany, while ORB was formed after the fall of East Germany. ORB came on the air in January 1992, though its predecessor Antenne Brandenburg began broadcasting already in May 1990. For the time being programming is not affected by the merger and the various channels of SFB and ORB will continue using the current brands, but in the long run RBB expects to introduce a new radio channel devoted to culture and classical music. Currently RBB produces a total of nine radio networks, which mostly operate on the FM band. However, Radio Multikulti with German and ethnic programming in 19 other languages can be heard also on 567 kHz (1.8 kW). Another RBB network, Inforadio, which is a 24-hour news station, can be heard on mediumwave during the night, when it is relayed by Südwestrundfunk (SWR) on 576, 666, 711, 828, 1017 and 1485 kHz.
(DXing.info, May 1, 2003)

HCJB World Radio has decided to end nearly all programming in English and German to North America and Europe. English and Russian programming is set to end on May 31, while German programs to Europe will be phased out in September 2003. The world's first missionary broadcast organization is refocusing its radio ministries in Latin America for greater impact in the region and as part of a strategic global media mix. Regional broadcasts from HCJB studios in Quito, Ecuador, and its transmitter site in Pifo, Ecuador, will continue in Spanish, Portuguese, Quichua, Waorani, Cofán, German and Plautdietsch, but releases to North America, Europe and Africa will be phased out in 2003. HCJB has defended the move by saying that North American shortwave listeners have a growing number of Christian stations available, and the ministry is working to move European and African broadcasts to facilities in those areas. South Pacific and Asia broadcasts have already been moved to the new shortwave facility in Kununurra, Australia (see News from January 2003). Depending on listener response, an abbreviated morning shortwave release in English targeting missionaries serving in Latin America is however under consideration. The HCJB World Radio English Language Service will transition from a broadcast-focused ministry to a production focus, providing English programming to air in all regions around the globe.

The purpose of the radio news section is to inform about new mediumwave (AM) and shortwave broadcasting stations worldwide. Other news are published only on major international broadcasters or issues very relevant to DXers. New programs and schedules are not covered.

The news are edited by Mika Mäkeläinen. Extracts from news items may be quoted if the website http://www.DXing.info is mentioned as source. See terms of use for details.