US Christian network on mediumwave in Romania

A US-funded Christian radio station is expanding its broadcasting network in Romania. Radio Micul Samaritean (Little Samaritan) has begun to transmit on 1485 and 1584 kHz mediumwave, in addition to FM and satellite distribution. Bernd Trutenau in Lithuania first reported about the station on December 30 on mwdx mailing list. Trutenau says that the station currently has one transmitter in Medias on 1485 kHz, and three transmitters on 1584 kHz (in Bistrita, Sighetu M. and Suceava), each with a power of 1 kilowatt. In the future, more transmitters will be added on both frequencies, as well as on 1602 kHz mediumwave. According to Trutenau, Radio Micul Samaritean may also be relayed by Radio CNM in Arad on 1602 kHz from 0800-1800 UTC.
      In 1994 the Little Samaritan Mission (LSM) opened its first radio station in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova. In 2001 LSM began operating also in neighboring Romania. LSM can be contacted by writing to P.O. Box 969, Hickory, NC 28603, U.S.A., tel. +1-828-396-2220, telefax +1-828-396-5579 or by email.
(DXing.info, December 30, 2004)

Radio Libertad AM from Rosario, Argentina, on 1100 kHz

Radio Libertad AM from Rosario is a new station on 1100 kHz mediumwave. According to Luciano Gentile, who reported about the station on ConDig mailing list on December 28, the transmitter power of the station is only 0.5 kilowatts. Gerardo Evangelista also informed Rubén Margenet about the station on December 25, and Margenet, who listened to Radio Libertad AM, reported that "una radio a su servicio" is one of the slogans used by the station.
(DXing.info, December 29, 2004)

New station on 756 kHz planned in Åland, Finland

According to a website titled as Radio 756 AM & Sonnet Radio, a new mediumwave station will be set up in the Åland Islands in southwestern Finland. Radio 756 would be operating on 756 kHz with a power of 10 kilowatts. According to the website, the station will be based at the radio ship MV St.Paul, which is already moored in the harbor of Mariehamn in the Åland Islands. The same ship was home to Radio Scandinavia/Pirate Radio 603, which earlier in 2004 broadcast for a while with low power on 603 kHz (see DXing.info news in August 2004), before collapsing due to disputes between the operators of the station. Authorities cancelled the license of the station, and according to the website, all license applications have now been frozen until May 2005, which is said to be delaying the new project.
      Founders of Radio 756 plan to upgrade the ship from next spring and include two studios and a UHF link to the main studio and a transmitter site 8 kilometers away. In addition to 756 kHz, shortwave transmissions are planned to cover the whole of Europe. Digital DRM broadcasts are planned for late 2005. Radio 756 can be reached by email.
      Radio 756 website doesn't identify the persons or organizations behind the project. Sonnet Radio may refer to a pirate shortwave station, which in 2002 was using a Swedish post office box shared by many pirate stations. In August 2004 Sonnet Radio announced plans to begin test broadcasts on shortwave from either Bulgaria or Latvia.
      Swedish radio enthusiast and businessman Roy Sandgren, who set up Radio Scandinavia on 603 kHz, is not involved in the new project. "I don't have anything to do with Sonnet Radio. I have my license and if I want, I'm able to go on air whenever I want," Sandgren says to DXing.info, adding that he hopes to be back on the air in April 2005. Radio 756 website makes no mention of the future of 603 kHz, which could indicate that the same people, who fought over the 603 kHz station and license, could be taking their rivalry to the airwaves by setting up competing radio stations, both operating from the tiny Åland Islands in the Baltic Sea.
      The station, rebranded as Radio Nord International, was to be operated by RTI Digital Ltd. However, on April 25, 2005, they announced that they are withdrawing their license applications from the Finnish authorities.
(DXing.info, December 22, 2004, further development added on April 26, 2005)

Radio Catedral del Encuentro new on 1120 kHz in Argentina

A new Christian station has begun broadcasting on 1120 kHz mediumwave near Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina. Radio Catedral del Encuentro, which is not officially licensed, was first reported by Marcelo A. Cornachioni on ConDig mailing list on December 20. The station is run by Ministerio Evangélico Catedral Sanidad, with address as Calle 13 y 39, Barrio 25 de Mayo, Ciudad de Guernica, Partido de Presidente Perón, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina. The station is owned by pastors Juan Castillo and Viviana de Castillo.
(DXing.info, December 22, 2004)

Radio de la Mer testing from France on 1080 kHz

The latest in a series of new French commercial stations probing the mediumwave dial, Radio de la Mer from Paris has been broadcasting on 1080 kHz since November 26. The station was reported first by Christian Ghibaudo in DXLD 4-179. Radio de la Mer plans to launch its remaining two medimwave transmitters in Brest and Montpéllier during the first half of 2005. According to the station website, initially most of the programming will be music, but talk and features will be added gradually.
(DXing.info, December 7, 2004)

Radio Carisma pops up in Buenos Aires on 980 kHz

Radio Carisma has been reported heard with strong signal locally in the greater Buenos Aires area in Argentina on November 27. Marcelo A. Cornachioni reports on the ConDig mailing list that the station is operated by Iglesia Puente de Salvación, with Sr. Eusebio Alcaraz as station manager. The address of Radio Carisma is Calle Lavalle 1105, Depto. 1 de la localidad de El Talar, Partido de Tigre, Buenos Aires, Argentina. The telephone numbers are (011) 4726-3556 and 4726-3557.
(DXing.info, December 7, 2004)

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.

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