On the programmе:
- Types of short wave radio broadcasts
- Radio calendar
- Broadcast tips
- DX mix
Types of short wave radio broadcasts
All international radio stations aim at attracting a larger number of listeners to their short and, if at all, medium wave broadcasts. To this end they use various topics and also respect listeners’ wishes. Some of the radio stations have their own departments performing analysis on the letters received by regular mail or on the Internet. Stations that do not respect their listeners’ wishes tend to lose fans. An overview of the content on the radio broadcasts for abroad reveals that they depend first and foremost on the specifics of the region they have been directed to. For example, if the broadcasts are directed at a country ruled by a dictator in the view of the broadcasting station, the programmes tend to be more politically oriented. There are a great many radio stations with such a profile and they tend to be jammed by the country to which they are directed. This is not a rule however, and a good example in case is Belarus, where foreign broadcasts in Belarusian are not jammed. There are of course cases, for example the BBC broadcasts in Uzbek, which are being jammed by the authorities in China. The great many radio stations with a Christian profile air almost invariably excerpts from the Bible and their interpretations, but never offer news bulletins or political features. There are exceptions to that rule, for example, Vatican Radio, World Harvest Radio, etc., which do have news bulletins in their emissions. The majority of the radio stations have a special feature dedicated to answering listeners’ letters and fulfilling music requests. They are usually called Mailbox or something of that kind, and attract the greatest number of listeners. By the way, many of the radio listeners’ clubs release periodical editions either in print, or on line, where they publish the schedules of four types of programmes – the mentioned Mailbox & Musical Listener’s Choice, but also the DX programs and Language Lessons. The latter are meant to help listeners learn the language of the broadcasting country. Depending on the audience’s profile youth issues, history, geography and tourism features can also enjoy popularity. Some of the radio stations invest a great deal of funding in boosting listeners’ interest worldwide by means of various quiz shows, contests or surveys, and hand out prizes in the form of souvenirs, radio sets or trips to the country in question. These are mostly Asian stations, such as China Radio International, Radio Taiwan International, KBS World radio from the Republic of Korea and the Voice of Vietnam, but also stations in East Europe.
Radio calendar
On November 23, 1924 and November 24, 1924 the state-run radios of Belgium and France were established On November 25, 1960 Deutschlandfunk in Germany was founded. Bulgaria ratified the International Convention on Radiotelegraphy adopted in Washington, DC by 134 countries on November 25, 1927.
Broadcast tips
VOICE OF JUSTICE: Two different stations named Voice of Justice were heard. One from Iran at 4 h in English on 7200 kHz and another from the separatist republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, Caucasus on 9678 kHz on Friday from 14h and on Saturday from 6 h.
MUSICAL RADIOS: The private Radio City with songs from the 50s and 60s was ob- served from 9 h on 19 November on 9510 kHz. Radio Skylark also with old and new hits was noted on 3905 kHz at 19 h on 11 November. Both with DJs speaking in English.
RUSSIA: Two different programs of Radio Rassii – the Home Service of Russia in Russian were observed from 04.35h on 7230 and 9840 kHz. At 5 h with a common news bulletin on 9840 Moscow, 5930 Murmansk & 7230 kHz from Yakutsk transmitter sites.
TURKEY: A program called “ The DX Corner “ in English was heard from 18.50 h on 6050 kHz of radio the Voice of Turkey on 19 November and repeated on the next day at 04.20 h on 7240 kHz with weak level of signal.
KUWAIT: Radio Kuwait English Language Service and in the new radio season is again on 15540 kHz and was heard from 18 h with program parade and from 18.30 h with a news bulletin.
UNITED KINGDOM: On 12 November BBC World Service in English was observed with four different programs from 08.45 h: one on 17640 and 21470, another one on 11760 & 15575, a third one on 15310 & 17790 and a fourth one on 15400 & 17830 kHz.
Compiled by Rumen Pankov
DX MIX
All times are in Universal Time Coordinated (UTC), all frequencies in kHz.
We continue with the winter schedule of ERA-5 Voice of Greece and ERT-3 Radiophonikos Stathmos Makedonias in Greek:
ERA-5 Voice of Greece broadcasts via transmitters in Avlis, as follows:
1600-1750 on 15630 kHz, 100 kW / 285 degrees to West Europe
1600-0400 on 9420 kHz, 170 kW / 323 degrees to West Europe and North America
1800-2250 on 15650 kHz, 100 kW / 105 degrees to the Middle East
2300-0150 on 15630 kHz, 100 kW / 105 degrees to Australia and New Zealand
2300-0400 on 7475 kHz and 0200-0400 on 7450 kHz, 100 kW / 285 degrees to North America
ERT-3 Radiophonikos Stathmos Makedonias broadcasts via transmitters in Avlis, as follows:
1600-1750 on 9935 kHz, 100 kW / 285 degrees to West Europe
1800-2250 on 7450 kHz, 100 kW / 323 degrees to West Europe
Albania: Radio Tirana has a new emission in English to North America, as follows:
0230-0300 Tuesdays to Sundays on 7420 kHz Shijak 100 kW / 310 degrees. The Monday to Saturdays emissions 1530-1600 on 13640 kHz have been cancelled.
Radio France International in Russian has made the following change to its schedule:
1600-1630 the station uses a new unregistered frequency of 9805 kHz Issoudun 500 kW / 055 degrees to Russia instead of the registered frequency of 9800 kHz. It also uses a parallel frequency of 11670 kHz
TWR India in Hindi и Punjabi to West Asia has announced the following change in its frequencies:
1315-1545 on a new frequency of 7510 kHz Tashkent 100 kW / 131 degrees, instead of on 7320 kHz
WYFR Family Radio from the United States has made the following changes:
1700-1800 in Somali on a new frequency of 11975 kHz Wooferton 250 kW / 128 degrees, instead of on 11665 kHz
1800-1900 in English on a new frequency of 5890 kHz Meyerton 100 kW / 015 degrees, instead of on 6045 kHz
1500-1700 in Russian on a new frequency of 9940 kHz Taipei 250 kW / 352 degrees, instead of on 9955 kHz
1600-1700 in Persian on a new frequency 11955 kHz Nauen 500 kW / 95 degrees, instead of on 11885 kHz
1400-1500 in Urdu on a new frequency of 11520 kHz Almaaty 300 kW / 177 degrees, instead of on 13860 kHz
1600-1700 in Urdu on a new frequency of 7505 kHz Almaaty 300 kW / 177 degrees, instead of on 7590 kHz
1300-1500 in English on a new frequency of 11540 kHz Huwai 100 kW / 285 degrees, instead of on 11560 kHz
Vatican Radio announces the following changes in DRM broadcasts via transmitters in Santa Maria di Galeria 100 kW:
1500-1530 in German and Polish on a new unregistered frequency of 7320 kHz / 350 degrees to West Europe, instead on registered frequency of 6060 kHz. Parallel frequencies in AM mode: 6075, 7250 и 9645
1530-1550, and until 1600 on Saturdays in English on a new frequency of 15190 kHz / 90 degrees to South Asia. The frequency that has been changed is 15180 kHz. Parallel frequencies in AM mode: 7585, 11850 и 13765
Kazakhstan: Voice of Orthodox in Russian broadcasts to Central Asia Fridays to Tuesdays, as follows:
1630-1700, instead of 1530-1600 on 7515 kHz Almaaty 200 kW / 310 degrees
South African Radio League in English broadcasts, as follows:
0800-0900 on Sundays on 7205 kHz Meyerton 100 kW / 0 degrees to South Africa and onb 17760 kHz Meyerton 250 kW / 19 degrees to East Africa
1630-1730 on Mondays on 4895 kHz Meyerton 100 kW / 0 degrees to South Africa
Author: Ivo Ivanov, Frequency Manager of Radio Bulgaria
English version by Radostin Zhelev
