Trans World Radio Africa celebrates its 50th anniversary in
Eswatini (Swaziland). It was indeed on the 1st of November 1974 that TWR started
broadcasting from this former British protectorate it became independent under
the name of Swaziland, the country was renamed Kingdom of Eswatini. This is the
smallest state in Africa after Gambia.
Already in the 60s, TWR wanted to get closer to its
listeners instead of focusing all its means of broadcasting on its partnership
with Radio-Monte-Carlo, of which it is a tenant in Monaco on the Fontbonne
plateau.
Different transmitter centers had been installed in the 4
corners of the world: Apart from Monaco for Europe, they were present on the
island of Bonaire in the Antilles for America and on the island of Guam for
Asia and Oceania.
Missing Africa, Trans World Radio wanted to set up in South
Africa. Efforts to get a license were in vain.
In 1973 TWR obtained its license to broadcast on short and
medium waves from Swaziland.
On the 1st November 1974, the evangelical radio mission
began broadcasting with 2 25 kW shortwave transmitters from Mpangala Ranch, 40
kilometres from Manzini. The following year a third OC transmitter was
installed, as well as a 317-C mediumwave transmitter from Continental
Electronics that ran at 1170 KHz.
The exact origin of this transmitter is unknown but rumors
have rang that it was a former transmitter of a pirate radio. Must be
transmitter No. 12 of the former BBC relay in Botswana: it was originally
commissioned by O'Rahilly the operator of "Radio Caroline" and handed
over to the BBC during the Rhodesia crisis.
In addition to local productions in 8 languages, programs in
German from the Gospel Radio (ERF) studios in Wetzlar were also broadcast.
Subsequently, the programmes were taken from the studios of TWR Africa Regional
Office in Johannesburg.
Shortwave transmitters were replaced in the late 90s by
three 100 kilowatt transmitters and one 50 kilowatt connected to five antenna
networks. Continental Electronics' 50KW Type 317-C Medium Wave Transradio
Transradio 100KW TRAM 100 Transradio Transradio Transmitter in 2016. This
transmitter would have been bought second hand at the tenth of its price at
Media Broadcast, it had previously broadcasted Deutschlandfunk programs. TWR
has also developed an FM network that covers the country.
After relocating studios to Johannesburg, TWR did not wish
to expand its Swaziland broadcasting centre, preferring to rent hourly beaches
in Meyerton, South Africa.
Since Meyerton's arrest, all the programs for Africa start
from Swaziland.
(FB/Radio Magazine)
