CJML 580 in Winnipeg on the air for two weeks in May

A temporary radio station will be launched in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, on May 1st. CJML will be broadcasting for two weeks on 580 kHz mediumwave. CJML commemorates the 60th Anniversary of Victory in Europe Day in the Second World War. As well as wartime memories, the broadcasts will feature events leading up to and immediately following the war, big band and other period music, and appearances by veteran Winnipeg radio personalities. The calls CJML stand for Come Journey Down Memory Lane. The station can be contacted by writing to 2565 Broadcasters, P.O. Box 46124, RPO Westdale, Winnipeg, R3R 3S3, Canada. The transmitter power will likely be 99 watts. Local DXer Shawn Axelrod was the first to report about the radio project.
(DXing.info, April 26, 2005, edited on April 28)

US and Italian DX clubs closed down

The Association of North American Radio Clubs (ANARC) has been closed down. Member clubs decided to dissolve ANARC because of apathy among member clubs and because many of its functions have been taken over by the clubs themselves. Also, membership in ANARC had fallen to 2324, about 10% of the number in 1964 when ANARC was founded. ANARC website will however remain, although it hasn't been updated since late 2003. The dissolution of ANARC was announced on April 15 in a press release by ANRC Executive Director Harold Cones.
      Meanwhile in Italy, DX club "BCL Sicilia Club" has also closed down. The club and its website had been maintained by Roberto Scaglione in Palermo.
(DXing.info, April 26, 2005)

Radio Chaskis testing from Ecuador on 4909.3 kHz

A new Ecuadorian shortwave station has been heard with test transmissions. Radio Chaskis is broadcasting from Otavalo in the province of Imbabura. Radio Chaskis was first picked up by Björn Malm in Ecuador on April 11 with Christian programming both in Spanish and Quechua, and signing off at 0048 UTC. Station director Chaquiguango Cotacachi Luis is also owner of the mediumwave station Chaskis del Norte, in Ibarra, on 950 kHz. Radio Chaskis welcomes reception reports, which can be sent to Jiron Roldos Aguilera y Panamericana Norte, Otavalo, Imbabura, Ecuador, or by email. The telephone number for the shortwave station in Otavalo is (062) 920 922, and the the mediumwave station in Ibarra can be reached by calling at (062) 908 124.
(DXing.info, April 13, 2005)

New South American stations on 970 and 1490 kHz

Radio General Sarmiento on 970 kHz is a new station that appeared on the Buenos Aires AM dial in early April. Marcelo Cornachioni, who was the first to identify the station, recognized that the announcer's voice is the same that is heard also on the stations of the Del Centro Publicidad SRL network. The station was first reported on April 6 on the Condig mailing list.
      Meanwhile, in Quito, Ecuador, a station identifying as Radio Alegre has begun broadcasting on 1490 kHz mediumwave. The station has been heard with a jingle La radio de la gente felíz, broadcasting a mix of Ecuadorian music and música tropical. Björn Malm in Quito picked up their inaugural transmission on April 6.
(DXing.info, April 7, 2005)

Radio Tatras International to activate 1350 kHz in Latvia

Radio Tatras International (RTI) will begin broadcasting from Latvia on 1350 kHz mediumwave on April 9. RTI says to DXing.info that the transmitter is located "on the Baltic coast." According to RTI, this transmitter is enough to cover the Baltic countries, Scandinavia and Germany, but the power and exact location of the transmitter are not disclosed. RTI will officially sign on at 1800 UTC on April 9, although station identifications may be heard already half an hour earlier. Also 9290 kHz shortwave, transmitting from Ulbroka near the Latvian capital Riga, will be used.
      RTI's sister station Radio Nord broadcasts in Riga on 945 kHz (2.7 kW), and will relay RTI for the opening broadcast. "We believe 945 is a very good service and should remain as Radio Nord, if people in Latvia prefer RTI then they will have access to us via 1350 which again will be 24/7", says Eric Wiltsher at RTI in an email to DXing.info. "We intend to maximise on the usage of 9290 and are already discussing many exciting things on that frequency."
      RTI will be using FM transmitters in the Latvian capital Riga and in Slovakia (94.2 MHz), but elsewhere the station is only available via satellite and the internet. According to Managing Director Jan Telensky, RTI however aims to become a pan-European broadcaster. RTI is hoping to get more affiliate stations in Europe, and is planning to launch digital DRM broadcasts on the mediumwave band later in 2005. The station will be transmitting in English 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
      Programming is said to include music from the 60's until the 90's, sports, weather and regionalized travel and traffic updates. Local, international and business news are produced by affiliates. "We think that most local stations, unlike 1350, should be local at certain times of the day specifically breakfast, lunch time and afternoon drive home. Outside of that they can be properly networked," Wiltsher explains. Overnight programming is provided by Radio Caroline, and Offshore Music Radio will produce one 2-hour show.
      RTI studios are located in Popras, Slovakia, while the head office is in the United Kingdom, at 1 Northumberland Avenue, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5BW. The telephone number is +44-(0)207-108-6322, and the station can also be contacted by email both in the UK and in Slovakia. However, RTI says to DXing.info that reception reports are not wanted, and will not be verified. "We really can't have people sitting there sending out QSL cards when we have a commercial radio station to run", RTI says.
      RTI began broadcasting as planned on 9290 kHz shortwave, but it hasn't been reported on 1350 kHz. RTI hasn't given any explanation for the absence of AM broadcasts.
      The station eventually began broadcasts on 1350 kHz on July 20, 2005. Transmissions are run 24/7 with 50 kW of power from Kuldiga. The relay service is provided by the Riga-based company Krebs TV.
(DXing.info, April 7, 2005, edited on April 12 and July 24)

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