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Friday, December 5, 2014
Radio Exterior de España Returns To Shortwave!
Woohoo! According to the Spanish news site Prnoticias.com, new head of
Spain's state broadcast units (RTVE), José Antonio Sánchez, has reversed
the old leadership's decision regarding Radio Exterior being pulled off
shortwave radio. According to the article, the reversal was largely motivated
by complaints from many in the fishing industry, who relied on REE via
shortwave while out at sea. Shortwave broadcasts will resume "as soon as
it's feasible to do so", but no date has been given. More info in the news
article (in Spanish).
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
China Could Take Over Spain Frequencies
With Spain's national shortwave broadcaster 'Radio Exterior de
España' seemingly leaving the international radio scene for good,
the Spanish newspaper 'El Faro De Vigo' is reporting that some
frequencies which REE had used to broadcast Spanish-language
programming on China Radio International's behalf could be taken
over outright by the Chinese.
From the article (translated from Spanish):
Through an agreement with China, REE issued two hours daily
in Spanish to Asia from a center in Xi'an. By suspending this
service, the frequencies used for Spain's zone would be free and
China would be willing to acquire them. That is how it is explained
by the Spanish SWL Association (AER), part of the Platform in
Defense of the Short Wave, which ensures that China has already
requested the reservation of frequencies to HFCC (High Frequency
Co-ordination Conference) -in charge of controlling and
distributing the use of frequencies; this means it would cost Spain
more time and money to recover them [if it were to change its
mind regarding shortwave].
According to AER, frequencies are "controlled" in an unofficial
way by the HFCC, so that when a country "reserves" a frequency,
it can be used over a year, but if they do not, it is freed up. When
using frequencies next to China from the center of Xi'an, and at
the breaking of the agreement with Spain, the Asian country is
now seeking to stay with them.
Thus, part of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific would remain
without coverage.
Labels:
china,
cri,
radio exterior espana,
ree,
shortwave,
shortwave radio,
spain
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Radio Exterior de España Leaving Shortwave
Well, this shouldn't come as a surprise, but according to various sources,
Spain's shortwave broadcasts will cease as of October 1st of this year. Radio
Exterior de España is only the latest international shortwave broadcaster to
leave shortwave, following other nations such as Holland, Canada and Taiwan.
Over the last few years, I was able to enjoy REE's shows on 9535 khz, transmitted
from Noblejas, Spain. The reason for the shutdown is likely to be the oft-cited
budget cuts which have stricken so many international broadcasters as of late.
REE is expected to continue on the Internet, but of course that won't be the
same, and probably won't have the same audience. SWLs and DX'ers aren't
the only ones upset over the news: the Spanish labor union Union Sindical
Obrera calls the decision "surrealist, dantesque, contradictory, and above
all, pathetic". I would have to agree with that assessment.
With one more national broadcaster shutting down, I will now be left with
Radio Habana, CRI, Radio Nacional Amazonia and religious crazies as my
only easy SWL listening options. Yipee.
Labels:
dx,
international broadcasting,
radio exterior espana,
ree,
rne,
shortwave,
spain,
swl
Thursday, June 19, 2014
HubPages Article on Numbers Stations
I know, long time no post, but I do expect to be more active here soon. In the meantime, check out this brief introductory article about numbers stations which I wrote for HubPages. More to come soon (I hope!)
Mysteries Over Shortwave Radio: Numbers-Stations
Labels:
hubpages,
numbers station,
numbers stations,
shortwave,
spy stations,
swl
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