Several mediumwave stations in Germany are due to cease transmissions within the next couple of weeks. The first to go, on Friday 30 December, is the low power (0.6 kW) SWR station at Ulm on 1413 kHz. The following day it is the turn of high power (700 kW) gospel station ERF at Mainflingen on 1539 kHz and the WDR mediumwave transmitter at Langenberg on 1593 kHz which has been broadcasting in DRM mode.
On 8 January SWR will cease its mediumwave broadcasts of the “Bodensee Sender” on 666 kHz (150 kW), Muhlacker on 576 kHz (100 kW), Freiburg on 828 kHz (10kW) and RheinSender/Wolfsheim on 1017 kHz (100 kW).
(Source: Mediamagazine.nl)
Andy Sennitt comments: The closure of Freiburg on 828 kHz is interesting, as it may improve reception of Dutch broadcaster Radio 10 Gold in some locations after dark, though there is still an NDR transmitter at Hannover active on this frequency.
on Dec 28th, 2011 at 18:16
And as discussed in an earlier post, in neighbouring Belgium, VRT Wolvertem on 927 closes after 31st Dec.
on Dec 28th, 2011 at 19:24
Would any of these help Radio Caroline and their hopes for an AM frequency? Maybe 576KHz would be ideal in the London area?
on Dec 28th, 2011 at 20:35
BTW on a related note, did you know that Deutsche Welle has stopped their live radio online stream? I emailed them and they confirmed it (but didn’t give a reason).
on Dec 28th, 2011 at 23:54
Mühlacker on 576 kHz (100 kW) and Freiburg on 828 kHz (10kW) are not WDR but SWR transmitters. Both are located in the state of Baden-Württemberg (SWR territory) and not in Nordrhein-Westfalen (WDR territory).
To be confirmed: http://www.swr.de/contra/programm/frequenzen/mittelwelle/-/id=1793196/u30avb/index.html
on Dec 29th, 2011 at 05:23
Hi Robert. Yes I did. Now that I find very odd. Seems Germany like some other EU countries feel they are just not important enough. I find it hard to believe that with all the millions they poured down the drain to certain “unnamed” EU nation which the Germans will never get back 1 euro is also putting them in the toilet. My question has always been is whats wrong with your guys in Europe and the west becoming so backward.
on Dec 29th, 2011 at 08:40
These frequencies can be in service to local community/ commercial radio, low power = 1 - 10kW’s. AM-stereo and a bandwith of 15 kHz = FM quality.
on Dec 29th, 2011 at 09:39
Most AM TX are simulcasts of FM service and that’s the reason to be switched off.
Must be a different service on AM in the future, programs that is not on FM/DAB.
on Dec 29th, 2011 at 09:50
Johannes - thanks for the correction. I have amended the text. I had to translate and publish this item in a hurry as I was doing two jobs yesterday - filling in for colleagues who are on Christmas vacation. The original source I quoted was correct - the typo was mine
on Dec 29th, 2011 at 12:13
The main beneficiaries of improved reception of Radio 10 will be listeners in Belgium. Listeners in het east and north of the Netherlands will have to wait for Hannover 828 to close. If Radio 10 is still on 828 by then….
on Dec 29th, 2011 at 12:26
Radio 10 Gold will barley leave 828kHz, they got lot of listners on that frequency.
on Dec 29th, 2011 at 12:51
What date will the 1539 and 1593 stop broadcasting?
on Dec 29th, 2011 at 13:33
These two will stop on 31 December. All the details, with times of closure are at http://www.dxaktuell.de/?p=2224
on Dec 29th, 2011 at 16:35
I don’t think that Radio 10 Gold has a lot of listeners on 828.
After the start of 828 kHz the audience figures hardly increased. Most listeners use the cable outlet, we have about 90% cable coverage in this country.
Same goes for Radio 5 on 747.
By the way, the stations having most advantage of this German MW switch off exercise are Radio Waddenzee and my Radio Paradijs, on 1602 and 1584, adjacent to 1593. This DRM noise broadcaster caused severe reception problems to the 2 adjacent channels, both being Low Power Channels (sic!).
I beg the ITU to transfer 1593 into another LPC, having the 3 top channels in a same position increasing efficiency and with less interference.