From July 1, Polish Radio External Service has started broadcasting on 198 kHz longwave. The 198 LW frequency is shared with Polish Radio Parliament, which will continue to broadcast when parliament is in session. At all other times Polish Radio External Service transmits on this frequency.
Polish Radio External Service broadcasts in seven different languages: English, Hebrew, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, German, and Polish. English language transmissions on 198 kHz are at 0700 and 1200 UTC, available when Radio Parliament is not broadcasting.
The 198 LW frequency can be picked up in Poland and is also able reach Polish diaspora in neighbouring countries, especially Germany, Ukraine, Belarus and Russia, providing up-to-date information on what’s going on in Poland.
Shortwave, Internet and satellite transmissions remain unaffected.
(Source: Polskie Radio)
Andy Sennitt comments: Unfortunately, the longwave service won’t benefit listeners in the UK or Western Europe as the frequency is shared with BBC Radio 4.
on Jul 4th, 2008 at 12:03
I recall that 225 KHz was also allocated to Poland.
If it is, why use 198 KHz ?
on Jul 4th, 2008 at 12:09
Because 225 kHz carries a different programme 24 hours a day. They are merely making use of a transmitter that would otherwise be silent for long periods. Whether this is financially and environmentally a good idea is another matter
on Jul 4th, 2008 at 12:32
The transmitter is leased from Emitel, so there is simply no chance to switch it off when no Sejm (parliament) coverage is on air. And 198 kHz operates 0600-1600 UT (summer, in winter 0700-1700 UT) only, so English at 1700 and 1930 UT will of course never be heard on this frequency. I just noted German until 1200 UT here, so obviously they just put one of the feeds for the shortwave transmitters abroad (i.e. in Germany and France) on air. I should remember to check out the delay tomorrow, it could be as large as a couple of seconds if the Raszyn transmitter is still fed through a terrestrial circuit.
Until now Jedynka, the program also carried on 225 kHz, had been put on 198 kHz when no other programming was to be carried. Traditionally 198 kHz had the pop program Trójka, and this was again the case when 198 kHz had been revived, but soon it was replaced by Jedynka. Why revived: The Raszyn transmitter had to be throwed in on 225 kHz when the 646 metres tall antenna of the Konstantynow transmitter crashed in 1991 (btw, otherwise the site still exists, it is said that even the 2000 kW Brown Boveri transmitter installation is still intact), and had to keep this business until the new Solec Kujawski transmitter became operational in 1999. Thus 198 kHz was silent at all throughout the nineties.
In recent years 198 kHz also had live relays of Radio Vatican. This could have changed, at least I recently noted an apparently recorded Radio Vatican programme on Jedynka (the regular program, i.e. also on FM) in the 1645…1700 UT slot.
on Jul 4th, 2008 at 12:41
Yes, Kai, I see that the ‘How to Listen’ page just mentions the first two transmissions, so I have deleted the 1700 and 1930 ones. The original text comes from http://www.polskieradio.pl/thenews/news/?id=86257 but I converted the times to UTC.
BTW I note that the excellent http://www.emwg.info site already lists all the new details.
on Jul 4th, 2008 at 13:07
And I now see that also Radio Bis (now replaced by Radio Euro) had been carried on 198 kHz for some time:
http://radiopolska.pl/aktual.php?subaction=showfull&id=1214930786&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&
http://www.polskaam.radiopolska.pl/raszyn.gif is an uncalibrated coverage sketch, presumably meant to represent the area of acceptable reception and as such quite realistic, at least for the western directions.
And an article about the transmitter, including a link to a photo:
http://www.polskaam.radiopolska.pl/raszyn.htm
on Jul 4th, 2008 at 16:21
I wonder if it will interfere with BBC Radio 4 over here in the Low Countries….
on Jul 4th, 2008 at 18:10
Polish abroad listen to 225 khz in cars, trucks etc. One of the strongest signals here in Malmö Sweden 600 km away.
http://www.radionord.lv
on Jul 13th, 2008 at 09:34
Yes, 225 kHz can be heard where I live (Bristol, England) with varying signal quality. What a pity they adapted 198 kHz for the external service: there are quite a few LW frequencies which have no broadcasts at all over here and, since I got a wireless network at home, the shortwave signal in my house is nearly impossible.
on Aug 25th, 2008 at 17:27
I live in the center of The Netherlands. Not possible to listen to Poland on 198 kHz, the BBC signal is just too strong.