Private French mediumwave stations finally on the air

After more than a year in the making, Radio Orient has begun test broadcasts on 1350 kHz mediumwave. The station was first observed around Central Europe on July 20. According to Christian Ghibaudo in DXLD 4-114, regular broadcasts are due to begin on August 2. Radio Orient has permission to use 2500 kW of power in Fontbonne near Nice, but current transmitter power is believed to be 300 kW at most. Radio Orient broadcasts also on 1602 kHz from Nîmes with 1 kW of power. The station received its license already in March 2003 (see DXing.info News in March 2003 for details). The station broadcasts also via satellite and FM. According to Telesatellite.com, programming is 60% French and 40% Arabic.
     Another private station, RMC Info, has been logged by Christian Ghibaudo in DXLD 4-107. According to Ghibaudo, RMC Info has been broadcasting on 1584 kHz with 1 kW of power since early July from Metz in Northeastern France. Before the end of July, the station was also planning to begin transmissions from Brest on 1485 kHz with 1 kW of power.
     Also in France, test broadcasts have been heard on 675 kHz. Serge Boutet reports on fr.rec.radio newsgroup that he has heard classical music programming from July 19 to 25. The frequency has been assigned to Superloustic, with transmitter located in Marseille.
(DXing.info, July 30, 2004)

New Buenos Aires station identified on 980 kHz

Sintonia de Vida, in Ciudad de El Talar, Partido de Tigre, near the Argentine capital Buenos Aires has been heard on 980 kHz on the mediumwave band. The radio station was first reported identified by DXer Arnaldo Slaen on July 17. Sintonia de Vida transmits Christian programming from a local church, Iglesia Puente de Salvacion. The station was tentatively picked up by Slaen and Marcelo Cornachioni for a period already last year, but was not identified until now.
(DXing.info, July 19, 2004)

Voice of New Sudan testing on 9310 kHz

A new shortwave station in Sudan has begun test transmissions. The Voice of New Sudan conducted tests for three days in late June on 9310 kHz on the 31-meter shortwave band, but was not reported heard by DXers. Further tests are expected to begin on July 19 or 20, roughly around 0700-1500 UTC. Transmitter power is 50 kW, according to an email received by Jari Savolainen from the station. Voice of New Sudan is run by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA). SPLM/A is a movement which has fought for autonomy in Southern Sudan. According to SPLM/A website, the station began testing on June 28. Voice of New Sudan is transmitting from a location known as "New Site", near Narus in Southern Sudan, and only about 1 kilometer from the location of Radio Peace, another Sudanese shortwave station, featured in more detail on DXing.info in March 2004. In the future, Voice of New Sudan plans to distribute its programs also worldwide over the Internet. The station can be contacted by email.
(DXing.info, July 15, 2004)

New X-band station from the Dominican Republic

Radio Juventus Don Bosco has begun broadcasting on 1640 kHz from Santo Domingo, capital of the Dominican Republic. In different sources the transmitter power of the station is listed as either 5 or 1 kW daytime and 3 kW or 500 watts nighttime. The Catholic station is using a slogan "una voz para la civilización del amor". The address of Radio Juventus Don Bosco is Calle Juan Evangelista Jiménez, 49, Urbanización María Auxiliadora, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The station was first reported heard on June 25, 2004, by Barry Davies in the United Kingdom on DXLD 4-098, with more details dug up later by Henrik Klemetz, Bjorn Malm and Glenn Hauser.
(DXing.info, July 11, 2004)

New Hospital Radio in the UK on 1134 kHz

A new 1-watt Hospital Radio has begun broadcasting on 1134 kHz mediumwave. Luton & Dunstable Hospital Radio broadcasts 24 hours every day of the year to patients and staff at Luton & Dunstable Hospital in Bedfordshire in the United Kingdom. The transmitter power is 1 watt. According to Tim Foulsham of Radio, via BDXC-UK, the station went on the air on June 30. They are currently broadcasting a test transmission loop, and full programming is expected to launch in a couple of weeks. Contact information as follows: L&D Hospital Radio, c/o L&D Hospital NHS Trust, Lewsey Road, Bedfordshire, LU4 0DZ, United Kingdom. Tel. 01582 582313. The engineering staff can be reached by email.
(DXing.info, July 5, 2004)

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