Free Radio Service will be on air the coming weekend. For more details visit their website. QSLs will be awarded!
For lovers of Cuban music: “From the Isle of Music” will be on air May 11th, via Channel 292. I heard them earlier this month, read my other post for details. A week later there will be a program “Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot” that I’ve not had the opportunity to listen to. Below see the announcements I got per email from William “Bill” Tilford, Owner/Producer Tilford Productions, LLC:
From the Isle of Music, May 11, 2024 Broadcast:
The main feature will be special guest Kiki Valera with some of his new son cubano album “Vacilón Santiaguero”.
Broadcast times: May 11: 0900-1000 UTC 9670 kHz &
1900-2000 UTC 3955 and 6070 kHz
Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot, May 18, 2024 Broadcast:
The main feature will be special guest Eugene Pao, Hong Kong’s foremost jazz guitarist, with some of his new album “Jazz at Lincoln Center”, recorded live during a tour of the US.
Broadcast times: May 18 0900-1000 UTC 9670 kHz &
1900-2000 UTC 3955 and 6070 kHz
Both programs will feature additional music to round out the hour.
It’s great to be back on Channel 292!
SMATSA stands for Serbia and Montenegro Air Traffic Safety Agency. Mr. Slavisa Savic, who is also a HAM operator with call sign YT5DX , was so kind to confirm my reception of radio beacon TAZ. This non directional beacon is in service for Tivat Airport in Montenegro. My 195th radio country confirmed!
Because of its interesting mix of music, featuring French chansons, I like to listen to Atlantic 2000 via Channel 292 in Germany. This is the e-QSL for their program last week. In my garden I enjoy similar cherry blossom as on the QSL. The temperatures are however lagging… it is windy and too cold for the time of year.
An email to QSL La Voz de Bogotá on 930 kHz. Another Colombian station I received during my stay at Curacao. I struggled to find an email address, but Arild was so kind to help me out. V/s is Mr. John Rodrigues
La Voz de Bogotá started in 1931 as one of the first radio stations in Colombia. Today it is the flagship station of the Todelar Network. They also operate a number of FM stations like La X, of which you can see the logo on the confirmation mail.
I heard Radio Santa Fe during my stay on Curacao, and Ms. Blanca Bernal was so kind to QSL Radio Santa Fe 1070 AM.
Radio Santa Fe was founded in 1938 by Hernando Bernal Andrade and his wife Luisa Mahe. Bernal purchased a communications system from a crashed airplane, repaired it and with his wife bought a house in Centenario, a neighbourhood in southern Bogotá, where the first broadcasts of Radio Santa Fe started.
I wouldn’t be suprised if Ms. Bernal is family of the founder. And while I am very grateful for the response of Ms. Bernal I regret that they don’t do something like an e QSL….Years ago they sent a QSL like this:
I received a QSL for my reception of RCN Cartagena on 1000 kHz. I heard this station, and the RCN stations from Medellin (990 kHz) as well as Cali (980 kHz) while staying on Curacao. Unfortunately the response was a poorly detailed answer via facebook messenger only.
The structure of the Radio Cadena Nacional organisation in Colombia is quite complicated with national and regional production centers and various network programs. On medium wave RCN as I heard it on 1000 kHz is their main program.
Antena 2 is their second network broadcasting sports. Antena 2 has dedicated frequencies in Bogotá, Cali and Medellin, but in other cities it shares the frequency with La Cariñosa. The latter is a network program started in 2000, focusing on popular music.
I came also across RCN owned Radio Red network (for example Bogotá, 970 kHz). Until 2013 these frequencies belonged to Cadena Super. The station I heard from Medellin (710 kHz) is referred to as Cristal Radio Red, but is in fact part of the same network.
Finally I received a “stand alone” RCN station called Años Maravillosos from Bogotá on 1340 AM. This seems a “left over” of the Amor Radio network which had several stations on FM. The FM stations have all been transitioned to other “FM only” networks of RCN: La Mega, La Uno and La FM.
A QSL for my reception of BBN Radio from Bogotá, Colombia on 1100 kHz. BBN stands for Bible Broadcasting Network. I have to admit that, unlike TWR and AWR, I was not familiar with this station. That is most likely because they do not operate on Shortwave. The organisation runs quite a few FM stations in the United States, in addition to 4 low power AM stations. But they are also active in 14 countries in South America, with medium wave presence in Chile, Colombia, Panama and Venezuela.
During my stay in Curaçao I received the station “Red de Radiodifusión Bíblica” from Bogotá, Colombia. I heard a program with a Bible Class and a lecture from the apostle Matthew. I sent my report to red@bbnradio.org .
An e QSL for Texas Radio Shortwave via Channel 292, Rohrbach, Germany. TRS ran two test programs last weekend Channel 292. On Saturday I heard them with a relatively weak signal on 6070 kHz, 9 h UTC. On Sunday significantly better on 9670 kHz, 10 h UTC. I sent my report to Texasradioshortwave@protonmail.com .
During the test program they were playing different versions of “The Yellow Rose of Texas” song. The song is from around 1850. The singer tells about his love for a “yellow girl”, a term that in those days was used to describe a light-skinned girl of mixed black and white ancestry. Later the lyrics were changed from “yellow girl” to “yellow rose”.
There is a story that the song refers to Emily D. West, whose statue you see on the e QSL card. Working as a servant in Texas she was kidnapped by the Mexican Cavalry and forced to travel with the forces of General Antonio López de Santa Anna. In the battle of San Jacinto the Mexicans were defeated in 18 minutes by the Texan Army led by General Sam Houston. It is said that the Mexicans were caught unprepared as Santa Anna was in bed with West.
From the Isle of Music is a new program on Radio Channel 292. I like listening to Channel 292 and its programs in the weekend while doing some admin tasks. As such I ran into this lovely program with music from Cuba. I sent my report to: tilfordproductions@gmail.com . Their facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/fromtheisleofmusic/
The station announced that they will be on air next week as well:
Next week, my world music program, Uncle BIll’s Melting Pot, will be on same times and frequencies plus a test simulcast from 1900-2000 on 3955 kHz.
