My AM Archive: April 1997

WELCOME to an extensive post on Reporting From The Fox Tower, of Medium Wave memories from the month of April 1997, including as-it-happened logs of a major breaking news story. First, housekeeping notes: Times in UTC (GMT), frequencies in kiloHertz (kHz). Transmission power in watts or kiloWatts (kW). Logs transcribed from the original notes.

April 1997: Medium Wave

• 5 April [1997]: 1311 UTC: 567 kHz: RTÉ Radio One : Sport: UK football: Arsenal 3 (Wright, Platt, Bergkamp) - Chelsea 0. Music: Martha Reeves & The Vandellas 'Dancing In The Streets' on 'Saturday Two Til Five' presented by Tony O'Donoghue, strong reception. Snooker: Hendry v Williams. Racing from Aintree. Football: Derry City v Shelbourne.
• 5 April: 1343 UTC: 585 kHz: BBC Radio Scotland Scottish football: Raith Rovers v Celtic. Morton v St Johnstone. Airdrie v Clydebank. Aberdeen v Motherwell.
• 5 April: 1405 UTC: 603 kHz: BBC Radio Four Strong reception, Newcastle-upon-Tyne transmitter. Afternoon play.
• 5 April: 1408 UTC: 612 kHz: RTÉ 2FM : Athlone transmitter. Moderate to strong reception. Lorcan Murray. Music: 'Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel', Spice Girls 'Who Do You Think You Are'. UK football: Aston Villa 0 - Everton 1, Southampton 1 - Nottingham Forest 0, Manchester United 0 - Derby County 0. Music: Orbital 'The Saint'. Breaking news from Aintree: Grand National postponed, bomb warning.

RTE QSL: 5 April 1997

• 5 April: 1439 UTC: 648 kHz: BBC World Service Moderate to good reception via Orfordness transmitter. 'Sportsworld' Live reports from Aintree with Ian Payne and Charlie Brookes. Ian Brown updates the UK football scores: Arsenal 3 - Chelsea 0, Manchester United 0 - Derby County 1. Cricket report. Live at Aintree: Interview with Jenny Pitman. Cricket update. Football scores: Manchester United 0 - Derby County 2, Aston Villa 1 - Everton 1.
• 5 April: 1500 UTC: 666 kHz: BBC Radio York Good to strong reception via Fulford transmitter. 'North Yorkshire Sport' Telephone 01904 641 641, Football at Bootham Crescent, York City v Notts County. Report from Aintree. Goal: York 0 - County 1. Report from Northampton v Scarborough: 0-0. Football round-up: Aston Villa 2 - Everton 1, Manchester United 1 - Derby 2, Arsenal 3 - Chelsea 0. Update from Aintree. Rugby Union report: Harrogate 72 - Clifton 0. Goal: Northampton 1 - Scarborough 0. Return to Aintree for statements. Football: Carlisle United 1 - Fulham 2. Darlington 0 - Doncaster Rovers 2. Traffic Report: A66 closed to all high sided vehicles between Penrith and Scotch Corner.
• 5 April: 1527 UTC: 675 kHz: Radio 10 Gold Strong to good reception via Lopik, Utrecht, Holland, 120 kW, Dutch language: Music: John Miles 'Music'. Men At Work: 'Down Under'. OMD: 'Joan of Arc'. Tight Fit 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight'. News bulletin: The Martell Aintree Grand National abandoned following bomb warning. Weather report. Music: Elvis Presley.
• 5 April: 1606 UTC: 693 kHz: BBC Radio Five Live Strong to good reception - via Droitwich? Classified football results: Carlisle United 1 - Fulham 2. [BBC Radio Five Live Aintree podcast: Click HERE]
• 5 April: 1611 UTC: 720 kHz: BBC Radio Four Interview with Shadow Home Secretary Jack Straw regarding Sinn Fein / IRA, possibly responsible for the Aintree bomb warning. Interview with Michael Howard, Home Secretary of the Conservative Government.
• 5 April: 1619 UTC: 756 kHz: BBC Radio Cumbria Strong to good reception via Carlisle. Relay of BBC Radio Five Live: Gary Lineker interviews Des Lynam live at Aintree. Nick Barnes reports from Brunton Park following Carlisle United's 2-1 loss to Fulham, interview with Mervyn Day. Report from Aintree. Football: Barrow v Colwyn Bay. Premier League football results: Manchester United 2 - Derby 3. Report from Southampton - Nottingham Forest. Newcastle 1 - Sunderland 1. Arsenal 3 - Chelsea 0. Aston Villa 3 - Everton 1. Reports from Ian Brown and Alan Green. Report from Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. Round-up of all results from football and Rugby Union.

• 5 April: 1644 UTC: 774 kHz: BBC Radio Leeds Good to strong reception, Farnley transmitter. West Yorkshire Sport: Report regarding Everton Football Club. Coca Cola Cup: Middlesbrough v Leicester City. The 1996 Coca Cola Cup Final was contested by Leeds United and Aston Villa. Classified football results. Report from Aintree. Football reports: Huddersfield Town, Halifax Town. Manchester United v Derby review. Bolton Wanderers promoted to Premier League football. Travel news: M1 motorway Junction 43, M62 Dewsbury, A650 Bradford. 17 UTC News: Aintree Grand National bomb warning, car crash in Leeds. Hull sweet factory takes legal action. Police caution children playing on railway lines. Leader of the Opposition, Tony Blair, releases a statement. Violence in Yemen. Weather report. Music: Lionel Richie 'Night Shift'.
• 5 April: 1718 UTC: 909 kHz: BBC Radio Five Live 'Alan Green's Sportstalk'. Strong to good reception.
• 5 April: 1722 UTC: 1053 kHz: Talk Radio UK Strong to good reception - via Start Point transmitter? Danny Baker, phone-in: Football: Walsall fan travels to the match in an ice cream van! Dave Wood faxed in from London, Rob in Dartford. Ad break: No1 Ska Album, Mail On Sunday, Jammie Dodgers. Postal address: Talk Radio UK, PO Box 2460 LONDON W1A Fax from Helen Jones. Simon in Leicester. Sue in Middlesex.
• 5 April: 1745 UTC: 1062 kHz: Danmarks Radio, Denmark. Strong to good reception. Music: Lisa Stansfield.
• 5 April: 1754 UTC: 1170 kHz: Great North Radio Good to moderate reception. Music: Average White Band 'Let's Go Round Again'. Music: ABBA.

• 12 April: 1430 UTC: 1170 kHz: Great North Radio Music: Wet Wet Wet 'With A Little Help From My Friends'.
• 12 April: 1434 UTC: 1215 kHz: Virgin Radio Strong to good reception. Ad break: All request weekend, Wimpey, 'Fever Pitch' book, Gillette Sensor Excel, British Airways.
• 12 April: 1440 UTC: 1278 kHz: RTÉ Radio 2FM Strong to good reception, transmitter: Dublin / Cork? Presenter: Lorcan Murray? Music: Brannigan 'Self Control'.
• 12 April: 1446 UTC: 1341 UTC: BBC Radio Ulster Football: Cliftonville 1 - Lochall 1 Paul Stokes & Nicky Griffen report from Windsor Park, Belfast. 'Sportsround' programme. Adam Coates is the presenter. Football scores: Sherbourne 1 - Derry 0. Barnsley 2 - Charlton 0, QPR 0 - Sheffield United 0. Rugby: All-Ireland league: Shannon are the holding Champions. Men's hockey: Lisnagarvey lead a match. Football update: Blackburn 1 - Manchester United 2, Arsenal 1 - Leicester 0. Racing: Tony Dobbin. 15 UTC News: Attempted murder of Pope in Bosnia. 'SportSound': Scottish Cup: Celtic 0 - Falkirk 0. Transmitter: Lisnagarvey, strong reception.
• 12 April: 1525 UTC: 1368 kHz: Manx Radio Moderate to good reception via Foxdale. The Afternoon Show Music: Kula Shaker 'Hey Dude'. 'Flightwatch At Ronaldsway Airport'. Music: U2 'Staring At The Sun'. Ad break: The Tile Shop, Isle of Man Post Office, Music: The LA's 'There She Goes'; Paul Weller : 'Peacock Suit'.
• 12 April: 1554 UTC: 1422 kHz: West Coast Radio Ireland Moderate reception. Gentlemen speak of reception reports received by the station.

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Long Wave and Medium Wave, 1995

WELCOME to another visit to my radio listening archives, this time going back to 1995, for the logs of broadcasts heard on Long Wave and Medium Wave.
As always, housekeeping notes: Times in UTC (GMT), frequencies in kiloHertz (kHz). Transmission power in watts or kiloWatts (kW). Logs transcribed from the original notes.

October 1995: Long Wave

• 31 October [1995]: 1934 UTC: 198 kHz: BBC Radio 4 via Droitwich, Burghead, Westerglen, all 50 kW transmissions. 'File on 4' reports on the Newcastle MIND group, Barnardo's, MenCap, Age Concern.
• 31 October: 2023 UTC: 252 kHz: Atlantic 252 Music: Blur 'Country House', D:Ream 'U R The Best Thing' Telephone call from Catherine in North Wales. Whitney Houston 'When You Exhale', R.E.M 'What's The Frequency Kenneth', Janet Jackson 'Runaway', Bryan Adams 'Summer of '69'. Promotion for Beverley Hills (morning crew), ad break: MacDonald's 'Pocahontas' promotion, Dan Francisco plays Mariah Carey 'Fantasy'. 500 kW transmission from Ireland. Music from Sophie B Hawkins 'As I Lay Me Down', Jade 'Don't Walk Away'. Tina Arena 'Heaven Help My Heart'.

• 26 March [2000]: 20 UTC: 198 kHz: Strong to good reception of BBC Radio 4 BBC News Sport: Motor racing Brazil Formula 1 won by Michael Schumacher. 'Feedback' with Roger Boulton, Topics include American accents on BBC Radio 4, homophobia, BBC news reports, BBC Talents, Steve Wright on BBC Radio 2, The Budget on BBC Radio 4 & BBC Radio Five Live, BBC Radio via the BBC website.

July 1995: Medium Wave

• 29 July [1995]: 1850 UTC: 567 kHz: RTÉ Radio 1 'A Sense of Place' A Protestant man talks of having to leave his home. Broadcast via Tullamore. Gaelic News at 19 UTC 'Nuacht' details of release of IRA prisoners, news from Bihac in Bosnia. 'Hill People' Pat Feeley visits Co Limerick.
• 29 July: 1915 UTC: 585 kHz: BBC Radio Scotland via Dumfries transmitter: 'Travelling Folk' music show featuring Alison Sherry and Martin O'Connor. Details of a forthcoming festival. News from Ballyshannon, Greg and Duncan, interview with Adam MacNaughton.
• 29 July: 1940 UTC: 603 kHz: BBC Radio Four via Tyneside transmitter, Newcastle. 'Saturday Night Theatre: A Vital Flaw' production based in wartime, lead character 'Felix'.
• 29 July: 1958 UTC: 612 kHz: RTÉ Radio 2FM via Athlone transmitter, Ireland. News: IRA releases, Scottish police charges regarding terrorism. News from an Irish Church Minister, Bihac in Bosnia. Lotto: 1 6 16 31 36 37 Bonus: 2. Music from Stone Roses, Blur, Boo Radleys. Details of M-People in concert. '7up sponsors Beat On The Street with Dance Nation, Live at Longford'.
• 29 July: 2020 UTC: 648 kHz: BBC World Service - BBC For Europe News, 'From The Weeklies': MP resigned the past week, World War Two criminals, including Japanese fighters. President Clinton outlines new policies for the United States of America.

• 29 July: 2038 UTC: 675 kHz: Radio 10 Gold via Lopik, Holland. Music.
• 29 July: 2045 UTC: 693 kHz: BBC Radio Five News and Sport.
• 29 July: 2048 UTC: 873 kHz: AFN [American Forces Network] via Frankfurt, Germany. American-based programming.
• 29 July: 2051 UTC: 909 kHz: BBC Radio Five News and sport.
• 29 July: 2057 UTC: 1053 kHz: Talk Radio UK An ad for Gary Newbon, 'Janet's Planet' is on the air.
• 29 July: 21 UTC: 1062 kHz: Denmark, Kalundborg transmitter. Speech.
• 29 July: 2109 UTC: 1089 kHz: Talk Radio UK 'Janet's Planet'.
• 29 July: 2115 UTC: 1107 kHz: AFN via Frankfurt, Germany. American-based programming.
• 29 July: 2136 UTC: 1170 kHz: Great North Radio, North East England.
• 29 July: 2140 UTC: 1179 kHz: Radio Sweden News of shipping in the Nordic seas, Bill Schiller visits the Gothenburg Maritime Museum.
• 29 July: 2152 UTC: 1215 kHz: Virgin Radio Music, also on 1242 kHz.
• 29 July: 2231 UTC: 1386 kHz: Radio Netherlands Music from Elton John 'The One'.

• 29 July: 2345 UTC: 1512 kHz: BRT Brussels News headlines, newspapers: Government, student jobs, stimulants for lorry drivers. [?] 'Music From Flanders'.

All for now.

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