My AM Archive: August 2009

BBC Sport Journalist Ivan Gaskell, 1991.

 THIS is My AM Archive, a continual thread of posts of my Medium Wave logbooks, bringing them online for posterity, and for other like-minded radio listeners to enjoy.

Logs of Short Wave broadcasts are also on this blog, under the My DX Archive thread.

The previous post in this thread, My AM Archive: March 2009, featured a log of BBC Radio Stoke, with a transmission map of their coverage area, dating from around 1991.

Also included in my archive of items collected from broadcasters over the last thirty-plus years, was a publicity photograph of broadcaster Ivan Gaskell during his time at BBC Radio Stoke (pictured left). Attached was a programme schedule for Saturday 11th May, 1991, with Ivan Gaskell's Sportsbeat on air at 1:30pm, covering Port Vale v Swindon Town, Reading v Stoke City and Crewe [Alexandra] v Mansfield Town.

Ivan's current profile can be seen on his IGTV website.

This post brings Medium Wave memories of August 2009.

Housekeeping notes: Times in UTC (GMT), frequencies in kiloHertz (kHz). Transmission power in watts or kiloWatts (kW). Logs transcribed from the original notes.

August 2009 : Medium Wave

• [Sunday] 16 August [2009]: 1908 UTC: 585 kHz: BBC Radio Scotland  Music: 'Oh What A Beautiful Morning!' Show tunes. Good reception. Music from 'Oklahoma!'. Music from Flanaghan & Allen. Transmission: 2 kW via Dumfries. Bud Flanaghan sang theme music for 'Dad's Army'. Music: 'I'm Getting Married In The Morning' / 'Get Me To The Church On Time'.
  Female vocalist on 'I Get A Kick Out Of You' - Elaine Page. Cole Porter.
  Guest: Andrew Bounder - 'Jerry Springer The Opera'.  Logged to 1937 UTC.
• 16 August: 1940 UTC: 594 kHz: HR - Info [Germany]  Live event - German language speech.
  Berlin athletics event - Usain Bolt - 100 metres Champion - Gold medal - New world record - 9.58 seconds.
  Broadcast is Germany: Hessischer RF / HR Skyline Frankfurt, D (Germany). 100 - 400 kW / 250 kW.
  Commentary / speech / reaction to 20 UTC; News. Programme: Debate before live audience (applause). Excellent to good reception.  Logged to 2012 UTC.
  [Contact details: hr - info, Hessischer Rundfunk, Bertramstraße 8, D-60320 Frankfurt. Website: hr-online.de]
• 16 August: 2023 UTC: 603 kHz: BBC Radio Four  Fair reception; 2 kW via Wrekenton, Newcastle upon Tyne. Male discusses job seekers, close of discussion. Continuity announcer introduces actor John Hurt, with Appeal for the International Rescue Committee. Website: bbc.co.uk/radio4/appeal
  Continuity announcer: Laura Kuensberg previews 'Westminster Hour' prior to 'In Business' on air now (2030 UTC).  Logged to 2035 UTC.

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My AM Archive: March 2009

 THE audio landscape of the Medium Wave band is undergoing sweeping changes here in the UK, as April 30, 2021, saw the closure of four transmitters on 828 kHz (Leeds), 999 kHz (Preston), 1152 kHz (Manchester) and 1161 kHz (Hull). Latterly broadcasting Greatest Hits and Magic, though formerly broadcasting some of the great nostalgic names of British radio: Radio Aire on 828 kHz; Red Rose Gold on 999 kHz and Piccadilly Radio on 1152 kHz.

The BBC are to close a number of Local / Regional radio transmitters over the course of May and June 2021, as detailed in this Facebook post from the British DX Club:

The BBC has now announced the dates in May and June that seventeen more of its medium wave transmitters will close....

Posted by BDXC - British DX Club on Friday, 23 April 2021

As these closures take place, at least enjoy the nostalgia brought by My AM Archive, a continual thread of posts of my Medium Wave logbooks, bringing them online for posterity, and for other like-minded radio listeners to enjoy.

Logs of Short Wave broadcasts are also on this blog, under the My DX Archive thread.

The previous post in this thread, My AM Archive: January 2009, can be found here.

Housekeeping notes: Times in UTC (GMT), frequencies in kiloHertz (kHz). Transmission power in watts or kiloWatts (kW). Logs transcribed from the original notes.

March 2009 : Medium Wave

• [Thursday] 12 March [2009]: 2050 UTC: 1458 kHz: Sunrise Radio  Excellent to good reception via Brookmans Park, London, 125 kW. Male broadcaster with Asian music, "Eight minutes to nine o'clock, thank you for all your messages". Logged to 2058 UTC.
• 12 March: 2122 UTC: 1485 kHz: SER  Spain. Excellent to good reception. 2 - 5 kW, transmission site not identified. Speech in Spanish language by male and female. Logged to 2128 UTC.
• 12 March: 2133 UTC: 1494 kHz: France Info  Excellent to good reception. Speech by female with jingles, music background. Transmission site: Clermont-Ferrand, France, 20 kW. Logged to 2140 UTC.
• 12 March: 2144 UTC: 1503 kHz: BBC Radio Stoke  Music: Marvin Gaye 'Sexual Healing', male host, six eggs in a basket puzzle, email from listener. Music, really strong signal, telephone number: 0845 303... Interference from a Spanish broadcast. 0845 303 9303 was the contact number. Male host talks of baby crying in restaurant. Music: Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield 'What Have I Done To Deserve This'. Female caller (Sheila) from Nottinghamshire / Lincolnshire talking about school days. Good reception. BBC ID. Music: The Korgis.
  22 UTC: ID 'This is BBC Radio Stoke'. News headlines: M5 motorway closed until 1am following road traffic accident. Man poisoned himself. Business loses trade; closes? Olympic Champion. Royal Hospital in Chelsea now accepts Ladies. Weather: Dry, cloudy, 12°C highest temperature. BBC Stoke text: 07786 201038.
  1 kW, Sideway, Staffordshire. Logged to 2210 UTC.

BBC Radio Stoke transmission map, c.1991.

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It's another celebrity birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to pop princess and Hannah Montana actress Miley Cyrus, pictured left, who celebrates her 18th Birthday this coming Tuesday, 23 November 2010. Have a great day Miley!

Medium Wave DX Log - November 2010

The following are a list of broadcasters I heard on Medium Wave recently. All frequencies in kiloHertz (kHz) and all broadcasts listed below include a link to their websites in the station name.

1458 kHz : BBC Radio Newcastle, Wrekenton transmitter, Newcastle Upon Tyne, 2kW.

1485 kHz : BBC Radio Merseyside, Wallasey transmitter, Merseyside, 2kW. The Billy Butler Show. (Website includes Radio Merseyside Past & Present)

1494 kHz : France Info, Clermont-Ferrand transmitter, 20kW (also heard on 1557 kHz, Nice transmitter, 300 kW).

1503 kHz : BBC Radio Stoke, Sideway transmitter, Staffordshire, 1kW.

1512 kHz : TCR, Country music broadcaster, Republic of Ireland.

1521 kHz : Gold, Reigate/Crawley (Duxhurst) transmitter, 640 watts.

1530 kHz : Pulse 2, Vicars Lot transmitter, Huddersfield, 740 watts.

1539 kHz : Evangeliums-Rundfunk, Mainflingen transmitter, Germany, 120-700 kW.

That's yer lot for November 2010 on the wireless!