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).

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.

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.

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