My AM Archive : September 2020

 AM radio broadcasts have been on the air for well over a century, this blog celebrates the broadcasts I have heard over the course of almost thirty five years. This post brings logs of broadcasts heard more recently: September 2020.

A previous post of Medium Wave logs, dated April 2020, can be found here.

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

Receiver used: Sangean ATS-405.

September 2020 : Medium Wave

• [Friday] 18 September [2020]: 1823 UTC: 531 kHz: Jil FM (Algeria)  Music: Culture Beat 'Mr Vain' (c. 1993). ID, rock music, ID, ads, speech, music.
  Fair to poor reception. Jil FM broadcast confirmed by parallel transmission on 549 kHz.
  Female with ID, music.
  Logged to 1847 UTC.

From the archive: Piccadilly Radio's Project Planner,
detailing the arrangement of Medium Wave broadcasts for Manchester (1991).

• 18 September: 1854 UTC: 540 kHz: MR Kossuth Rádió (Hungary)  Male speech, brief musical interlude, continued speech. This programme, listed on the Kossuth Rádió website, has 'Novel History' as its title translated into English.
  Strong reception.
  Musical interlude, male speech.
  Top of the hour (1900 UTC / 2100 local time) male ID for Kossuth Rádió, female speech, news. Trailers with jingles.
  Male and female speech; This programme has 'The Evening host' as its title translated into English.
  Magyar Kossuth Rádió via Solt, Hungary, 2 MW [MegaWatt] transmission.
• 18 September: 1914 UTC: 549 kHz: Spirit Radio  Music, female speech "Welcome to the show, it's Friday night", music, male vocals with choir. Male ID "Breath of fresh air, Spirit Radio" New music jingle, music, ID, music.
  Spirit Radio, 25 kW via Carrickroe, Co Donegal. Strong to good reception.
  ID, music with male vocals. Female host is Olga Kaye, with link detailing songs including 'Unconditional' and now playing 'Put Your Hands Up'.
  Feature: 'Life Connections' from East Africa (Uganda). Trevor Stevenson. ID "Spirit Radio, Passion for life" Music from Marshmello.
  Logged to 1934 UTC.
• 18 September: 1945 UTC: 558 kHz: Radio Nacional de España  Spanish speech, male speakers, jazz music programme, female speech, ID. Male speech, music, male speech.
  This is RNE Radio 5 (Broadcast parallel to 567 kHz).
  Music from 'Dick Tracey' film, featuring Madonna. Music: Rolling Stones 'Gimme Shelter'.
  Strong to fair reception via San Sebastian, Spain, 50 kW.
  Music: Tanita Tikaram 'Good Tradition'.
  Logged to 1959 UTC.
  
  Cup of tea.
• 18 September: 2012 UTC: 567 kHz: RNE Radio 5  Spanish speech, parallel to 558 kHz, female speech, ID for Radio Nacional de España. Male speech. Signal improves.
  Good to poor reception. 50 kW via Murcia, Spain.
  Speech lead by a female, with contributions from other voices in a gathering of people.
  Male speech in studio; Speech from Madrid, male telephone caller.
  Logged to 2024 UTC.
• 18 September: 2029 UTC: 576 kHz: RNE Radio 5  Male speech in the Spanish language, pips for 2030 UTC, speech from female in Spanish language.
  100 kW via Barcelona, Spain. Strong to good reception.
  Male and female speech continues. Male speaks in a roundtable discussion.
  Logged to 2043 UTC.
• 18 September: 2045 UTC: 585 kHz: RNE Radio 5  Continuation of a roundtable discussion, broadcast from Madrid. Male speech, with contribution by male at a remote location.
  Strong to good reception, 600 kW via Madrid, Spain.
  Female and male speech, including snippets of comments in other languages overdubbed into Spanish: Female speaking in English "No disrespect to King Juan Carlos..." Male speaks of "Politico España". Female and male speech continues in the roundtable discussion. ID.
  Logged to 2055 UTC.

From the archive: Chiltern Radio Network programme schedule for Supergold
Broadcast across the heart of England on 792, 828 and 1557 kHz Medium Wave (1991).

• 18 September: 2058 UTC: 596 kHz: SNRT [Morocco]  Devotional singing by male, speech by male and female.
  This broadcast is SNRT Radio National, Arabic service.
  50 kW via Oujda, Morocco. Poor reception.
  Logged to 2105 UTC.

My AM Archive: April 2013

 ONE week after Easter 2013, I spent an evening listening to the Medium Wave band. This post recounts what was heard on that occasion.

The previous post in this thread, My AM Archive: October 2012, 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.

April 2013 : Medium Wave

• [Sunday] 7 April [2013]: 1833 UTC: 549 kHz: [Tentative] Spirit Radio  Music, speech, male host, pop music, possibly chart countdown.
  Fair reception.
  Logged to 1845 UTC.
• 7 April: 1855 UTC: 585 kHz: BBC Scotland  "Enjoy your piping!" [Bagpipe music]
  Excellent to good reception; 2 kW via Dumfries.
  Close of [Bagpipe music] programme. ID.
  1900 UTC news: Grand National 2013 winning jockey injured day after National at Hexham racecourse - In hospital. Bombing in Iraq by Nato. Chancellor defends benefit system after life sentence of Mick Philpott. Dutch tourist dies after accident in Perthshire. Youth crime commissioner resigns. Scotland campaign to remain in UK receives cash boost.
  Sports news: Football, tennis, curling.
  Weather: Cloud, rain, clear, frost, freezing.
  Programme: Profile of Hank Williams. Died on 1 January 1953.
  2013 marked the 60th anniversary of the death; Williams died in his car in Alabama.
  Speech by Bruce Springsteen, music: 'Lost Highway'.
  Music: 'I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive'.
  Contribution by Neil Young.
  Logged to 1915 UTC.
• 7 April: 1920 UTC: 603 kHz: BBC Radio Four  Speech programme with the history of 'The Third Programme', which became BBC Radio Three.
  Excellent to good reception; 2 kW via Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Wrekenton) [Pictured below].
  'Feedback' discussing BBC Radio 3 - 'Live in Concert' The interval and what to do.
  Logged to 1930.

• 7 April: 1957 UTC: 621 kHz: RTBF International  Speech regarding football with break at 20 UTC; Speech continues in new hour, male speech.
  Excellent to good reception; 300 kW Brussels.
  French / Flemish language. Music. 'Viva Sports' Bernard De Wie / Dominique Decourwie on broadcast from Belgium. Music: Bruno Mars 'Locked Out Of Heaven'. 'Viva Musique' on Viva Cité. Male host.
  Transmitter site is Wavre, Belgium.
  ID: 'Viva Cité'. Music: Michael Jackson 'Human Nature'.
  Logged to 2020 UTC.
  
• 7 April: 2058 UTC: 639 kHz: Czech Radio 2  Lead-up to the top of the hour; ID for Czech Radio 2.
  Good to fair reception; Czech language; 1500 kW via Prague, TCH (Czech Republic).
  Logged to 2112 UTC.
• 7 April: 2116 UTC: 639 kHz: RNE 1  Speech by a male and a female in the Spanish language.
  Fair reception; Up to 300 kW.
  Music from The Equals 'Baby Come Back'. Time signal for 2130 UTC, continued speech in Spanish.
  Logged to 2138 UTC.

Sunday 28 April 2013: Information update:
549 kHz: Spirit Radio, Radio Centre, Kilarney Road, Bray, Co Wicklow, Ireland.

                Telephone: +353 (1) 272 4760

                Text: +353 87 888 9292
                Email: info @ spiritradio .ie

That concludes this post.
Thank you for visiting Reporting From The Fox Tower!

📻

Tuning the Roberts R881, Medium Wave, June 2018

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

June 2018: Medium Wave

• [Saturday] 16 June [2018]: 1713 UTC: 549 kHz: Spirit Radio Music, ID: 'Spirit Radio, Passion For Life', music. Good to moderate reception. Promotion for GymPlus.ie followed by ID and music. 11/25 kW via Carrickroe, Co Donegal. Male host, message to say hi to a listener, text on 087 888 9292. Music: Westlife 'What About Now' [Spirit Radio contacts: Telephone: 01 272 4760, spiritradio.ie] ID: 'The music we play might make your heart race! Spirit Radio, Passion For Life'. Music: The Script 'The Man Who Can't Be Moved'. [The male host earlier mentioned this is a jukebox format] Male host with FIFA World Cup latest: Peru 0 - Denmark 1. Music 'Feels Like Heaven'. Female speech regarding Co Wicklow centre for festival and commemorative events - Spirit Radio events guide? Music, male speaks of a female artist. To 1740 UTC.
• 16 June: 1755 UTC: 585 kHz: BBC Radio Scotland Music: Neil Young 'Only Love Can Break Your Heart', conclusion of an interview with Graham Nash (Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young). 7pm news: The Macintosh Centre, Glasgow Centre of Art, club and other buildings damaged by fire. Glasgow has a shortage of doctors. Twelve year old epileptic child can be treated with cannabis oil. Sinn Fein vote to support abortion. Seven people hurt when taxi runs into people in Russia. Sport: Andy Murray. World Cup: Peru 1 - Denmark 1; Argentina 1 - Iceland 1; France 2 - Australia 1. Weather: Uplands forecast, cloud base: 300 metres, inshore waters - 'Take The Floor' programme crashes the weather! Gary Innes with 'Take The Floor'. Strong to good reception, 2 kW via Dumfries. Music from David Kennedy Band. To 1810 UTC.
• 16 June: 1926 UTC: 603 kHz: BBC Radio 4 The narration of a boxing match between Joe Lewis and Max Schmelling - Lewis hits the canvas from a Schmelling punch - The contest continued to the twelfth round, Schmelling win. Strong to good reception, 2 kW via Wrekenton, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Profile of Lewis. To 1936 UTC.

• 16 June: 2003 UTC: 657 kHz: BBC Radio Wales Commentary of a rugby fixture, male commentator confirms I am listening to BBC Radio Wales. Speech referred to the TMO (Television Match Official) and referee, audio from the referee mic can be heard. This is commentary of the rugby union international between Argentina and Wales. Referee mic picks up his instructions at scrummage. Male host commentator states 78 minutes (of 80) have been played - Wales lead? Moderate to poor reception, 2 kW via Wrexham. To 2016 UTC.
• 16 June: 2033 UTC: 666 kHz: BBC Radio York Music: Male rendition of 'Son Of A Preacher Man' (Live, before an audience, with full band). Namecheck for Craig Pattinson. Now performing '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction'. Female vocalist performs 'Blowin' In The Wind' and 'R-E-S-P-E-C-T' on BBC Radio York 'BBC Music Introducing in York'. Strong to good reception. The backing band is from the University of York, with Martin the sound engineer. The crowd are baying for more. Max Dalton was one of the musicians. Now performing 'Stand By Me'. Compere mentions everyone involved in this concert is a volunteer, donations to BBC Children In Need will be welcomed. 500 watts via Fulford, York. Now performing 'God Only Knows'. End of the 'BBC Introducing' broadcast; Phil Butler to Leeds, York, Sheffield and Humberside on air next. To 2059 UTC.
• 16 June: 2115 UTC: 684 kHz: RNE Radio Nacional de Espana Female speech in the studio, with male on telephone. RNE via Seville, Spain, 600 kW. ID, male speech into sports report with female interviewing female. ID and speech continuing, regarding Spain. ID for RNE, female speech into male speech. Good reception. Spanish language. To 2130 UTC.
• 16 June: 2133 UTC: 693 kHz: BBC Radio 5 Live A mother in Northern Ireland speaks to Stephen Nolan on BBC Radio Five Live. Good to moderate reception. Echo on broadcast! Could reception be both Droitwich (150 kW) AND Stagshaw (50 kW)? [Logged as Stagshaw, Northumberland, 50 kW.] News bulletin included Scotland's reaction to the Macintosh Centre fire, the mother featured on the show is the mother of an epileptic boy being treated with cannabis oil. Sport update: Rugby union internationals, FIFA Football World Cup 2018: Argentina 1 - Iceland 1. Golf update. Brexit update. Tory MP Sir Christopher Chope blocks yet another bill; The Tory wanker blocked - Objected to - the 'Upskirting' bill. Interview with a Police Officer, whose Police Dog was stabbed on duty - Tory Chope blocked a bill to make this a crime. The Dog Survived! To 2158 UTC.

📻

All for now.

Listening to Medium Wave in October.

AN enjoyable evening was spent, on Tuesday 20 October, tuning the medium wave band, beginning at the beginning, on 522 kHz. Here is what I heard that evening. Time in UTC (GMT); Frequencies in kiloHertz (kHz) :

• 1817 UTC, 531 kHz : Jil FM (Algeria), 600 kW via F'Kirina, Algeria. Choral singing, female speech, music. The Beatles - 'The Long And Winding Road'. Moderate to poor reception. To 1840 UTC.
• 1848 UTC, 540 kHz : Kossuth Radio (Hungary), 2 MW via Solt, Hungary. Speech from male and female, ID. Good to poor reception. To 1900 UTC.
• 1914 UTC, 549 kHz : U R 1 Persha Programa (Ukraine), 550 kW via Mykolaiv Luch, Ukraine. Music and speech from the National Radio Company of Ukraine. Moderate reception. To 1923 UTC.
• 1925 UTC, 549 kHz : Spirit Radio (Republic of Ireland), 11 / 25 kW via Carrickroe, Co Donegal, Ireland. Music, female speech including a 'Spirit Radio' ID. 'Spirit Radio, Passion For Life' ID. Evenings with Olga Kaye, 2000 UTC news and sport. Logged to 1945 UTC. Fair to poor reception.
• 1951 UTC, 549 kHz : Deutschlandfunk (Germany), 100 kW via Nordkirchen / Thurnau, Germany. Piano concerto. Male speech. Moderate to poor reception. To 2002 UTC.
• 2034 UTC, 576 kHz : RNE Radio 5 (Spain), 100 kW via Barcelona, Spain. Clear, male, Spanish speech. Poor reception. To 2041 UTC.
• 2046 UTC, 585 kHz : BBC Radio Scotland (UK), 2 kW via Dumfries, Scotland. 'Sportsound' Falkirk v Hibernian. Interview with Alan Stubbs. 2100 UTC news headlines: Motherwell & Clyde steelworks to be mothballed. Sport and weather. 'Another Country with Ricky Ross' : Owen Bradley: The Nashville Sound (Country music programme). Music: Patsy Cline 'Walking After Midnight'. 'Night Train To Memphis'. Logged to 2100 UTC. Strong to Moderate reception.
• 2111 UTC, 603 kHz : BBC Radio 4 (UK), 2 kW via Wrekenton, Newcastle - Upon - Tyne. 'The World Tonight' China's Xi Jinping's state visit to the UK, meeting the Royal Family. Strong, fair reception. To 2121 UTC.
• 2127 UTC, 603 kHz : France Info (France), 300 kW via Tramoyes, Lyon, France. Strong, clear speech, male speech regarding Bashar Assad, leader of wartorn Syria. Strong to moderate reception. Preview of the new Star Wars movie to be released. Champions League football update. To 2144 UTC.
• 2157 UTC, 621 kHz : RTBF (Belgium), 300 kW via Wavre, Belgium. Music, speech, female speech 'Bon soir', reads frequencies in kiloHertz. Music. Off air at 2202 UTC. Fair reception.
• 2207 UTC, 630 kHz : BBC Three Counties Radio (UK), 200 watts via Lewsey Farm, Luton. Music: Petula Clark 'Downtown'. Male speech, telephone callers. Music: The Corrs 'What Can I Do'. Music: 'My Boy Lollipop'. Poor reception. To 2235 UTC.

That's the October log complete.

Springtime Sunday...?

WELCOME along to the latest update here on RFTFT, on what is quite a warm, almost humid Sunday lunchtime, in mid May. Saying that, the previous day and the night before that gave us some of the heaviest rain seen since, well, last summer! Thoughts are with those in West Cumbria who are coping with flooded roads this weekend! The weather forecast shows a brighter outlook for the next few days, so let's hope the forecast is correct!

I have been neglecting my radio listening over winter and early 2013, but did spend a couple of weekend evenings in March and April listening to short wave and medium wave respectively, so here are the broadcasts I heard:

Saturday 16 March 2013 - Short wave (Tropical bands):

• 2200 UTC (GMT), 3415 kHz : Shannon Volmet, Ireland. Female voice with weather reports: wind and visibility reports.(Based at Shannon airport, I believe).
• 2235 UTC, 3905 kHz : Radio Alice, Netherlands. Music: The Clash - Should I Stay Or Should I Go. Iggy Pop - Lust For Life. ID: "On short wave, this is Radio Alice from the Netherlands". AC/DC - Whole Lotta Rosie. ID. Van Halen - Jump. Good quality.

Sunday 7 April 2013 - Medium wave:

• 1830 UTC, 549 kHz : Spirit Radio, Ireland. Male voice with chart countdown. Fair quality.
• 1855 UTC, 585 kHz : BBC Scotland via Dumfries. Oh dear. Bagpipes. Male voice - "Enjoy your piping!". 1900 UTC news: Grand National winning jockey Ryan Mania injured at Hexham racecourse. Other stories: NATO in Iraq. Mick Philpott. Perthshire accident. Youth Crime Commissioner resigns. Scottish independence campaign. Sport: Football, tennis, curling. Weather report. Country music programme highlighting the sixtieth anniversary of the passing of Hank Williams.
• 1920 UTC, 603 kHz : BBC Radio 4 via Wrekenton, Newcastle - upon - Tyne. 'Feedback': Historical look at The Third Programme, which became BBC Radio 3. Also discussing BBC Radio 3 'Live in Concert' and their handling of the concert interval.
• 1955 UTC, 621 kHz : RTBF International, Belgium. 'Viva Sports' to 2000 UTC - football. 'Viva Musique' on 'Viva Cite'' - Music: Bruno Mars - Locked Out Of Heaven. ID. Michael Jackson - Human Nature.French language.
• 2100 UTC, 639 kHz : Czech Radio 2, Prague, Czech Republic. Top of the hour ID, Female voice. Czech language.
• 2115 UTC, 639 kHz : RNE 1, Spain. Male and female voices, Spanish language. Music: The Equals - Baby Come Back.

And that concludes the logs for March and April. I haven't tuned the bands yet in May, hopefully very soon!

I shall conclude with a picture, you could call it 'wallpaper of the week' if you like, a feature I should get back to posting here on the blog on a weekly basis, but this picture ties in with the previous post below.

Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Britney Jean Spears.