On previous occasions here in our DX program, “Wavescan”, we have presented the story of radio broadcasting in five different areas on the island of Borneo; Sabah, Labuan and Sarawak in Malaysian Borneo; independent Brunei; and Balikpapan in Indonesian Kalimantan. On this occasion here in “Wavescan”, we conclude the story of radio broadcasting in all of the varied areas of Borneo with this feature on the other areas of Indonesian Kalimantan.
Back in the very early 1920s, the Dutch Petroleum Company established a spark wireless station at Tarakan, which is a small but important island located just off the east coast of Borneo, right towards the northern border with Sabah. This spark wireless station was licensed under the Dutch East Indies callsign PKG. It is presumed that station PKG was also used by the Japanese during their 2½ years of occupation of oil-rich Tarakan Island back in the 1940s.
In the era just prior to the commencement of WW2, at least one radio broadcasting station was established in Kalimantan. This was:-
1936 YDV2 Banjarmasin 3330 kHz Owned by Eureka Co (Kneitel 89 & RN 8-37 148)
The first radio broadcasting station in Kalimantan, outside Balikpapan, after the end of WW2 was station YCN, which in reality was transferred from Balikpapan and re-established in Pontianak on the central west coast of Borneo. This station was activated at its new location on the other side of the island in September 1946. Interestingly, this station identified on air with its two locations, announcing as Radio Balikpapan, Pontianak. At its new location on the west coast, it radiated broadcast programming with the usage of three shortwave transmitters rated at 40 watts, 125 watts and 250 watts.
Back in the very early 1920s, the Dutch Petroleum Company established a spark wireless station at Tarakan, which is a small but important island located just off the east coast of Borneo, right towards the northern border with Sabah. This spark wireless station was licensed under the Dutch East Indies callsign PKG. It is presumed that station PKG was also used by the Japanese during their 2½ years of occupation of oil-rich Tarakan Island back in the 1940s.
In the era just prior to the commencement of WW2, at least one radio broadcasting station was established in Kalimantan. This was:-
1936 YDV2 Banjarmasin 3330 kHz Owned by Eureka Co (Kneitel 89 & RN 8-37 148)
The first radio broadcasting station in Kalimantan, outside Balikpapan, after the end of WW2 was station YCN, which in reality was transferred from Balikpapan and re-established in Pontianak on the central west coast of Borneo. This station was activated at its new location on the other side of the island in September 1946. Interestingly, this station identified on air with its two locations, announcing as Radio Balikpapan, Pontianak. At its new location on the west coast, it radiated broadcast programming with the usage of three shortwave transmitters rated at 40 watts, 125 watts and 250 watts.
Shortly afterwards, the identification announcement for station YCN was changed from Radio Balikpapan Pontianak to Radio Indonesia Pontianak, even though the Dutch did not relinquish their claims to the Dutch East Indies for another couple of years.
Under the Indonesian authorities, the callsign of the Pontianak station was changed from YCN to YDW, and only one transmitter, the 250 watt unit, was still on the air. Another shortwave station was established at this stage, YDO with 2300 watts on 3380 kHz at Banjarmasin at the bottom of the island. Shortly afterwards, an additional shortwave station was installed at Samarinda a little north of Balikpapan, YDY with 150 watts on 3590 kHz.
Interestingly, the World Radio TV Handbook does not list any mediumwave stations in Indonesia until the 1973 edition. However, during our first visit to Indonesia in 1968, there was a move on in Indonesia to transfer from the tropical shortwave bands into the mediumwave band, and several stations were noted in Jakarta on mediumwave at that time.
Interestingly, the World Radio TV Handbook does not list any mediumwave stations in Indonesia until the 1973 edition. However, during our first visit to Indonesia in 1968, there was a move on in Indonesia to transfer from the tropical shortwave bands into the mediumwave band, and several stations were noted in Jakarta on mediumwave at that time.
During the intervening years, a multitude of radio stations have been established in Kalimantan, the Indonesian section of the island of Borneo, and these commercial and government stations have operated in the mediumwave, shortwave and FM bands. Currently, the World Radio TV Handbook lists a total of 46 radio stations in Kalimantan, though it is probable that the actual tally is much higher. The WRTVHB list shows:-
Mediumwave 32
FM 12
Shortwave 2
The two remaining shortwave stations still on the air in Kalimantan Borneo are:-
RRI Palangkaraya 10 kW 3325 kHz
RRI Pontianak 10 3976
It is probable that a few QSLs have been issued from these areas in Kalimantan Borneo over the years, but we do not hold any in our collection. Maybe a few Kalimantan QSLs are held by international radio monitors living in Australia and New Zealand.
(Source: Adrian Peterson/Wavescan)
Mediumwave 32
FM 12
Shortwave 2
The two remaining shortwave stations still on the air in Kalimantan Borneo are:-
RRI Palangkaraya 10 kW 3325 kHz
RRI Pontianak 10 3976
It is probable that a few QSLs have been issued from these areas in Kalimantan Borneo over the years, but we do not hold any in our collection. Maybe a few Kalimantan QSLs are held by international radio monitors living in Australia and New Zealand.
(Source: Adrian Peterson/Wavescan)
