Czechia
Country Radio to use 639 kHz, close 1062 kHz. Country Radio is moving from 1062 to 639 kHz, where it will use the former Czech Radio high-power medium wave masts at Liblice. A second transmitter will be used on 954 kHz with 5 kW Ceské Budejovice – the transmitter has been carrying DRM tests but will carrying Country Radio in AM. mediaguru.cz (translated from Czech) gives more details:
Czech Radio stopped broadcasting on medium and long wave at the end of 2021, Country Radio can therefore move to the Liblice station, where it will broadcast on 639 kHz, with a power of 20 kW. "The change in frequency from 1062 kHz to 639 kHz is necessary due to the tuned antenna present on the Liblice transmitter". For a certain period, parallel broadcasting will take place on both frequencies. "Given that Liblice is situated to the east, we also asked the Broadcasting Council to add an AM transmitter Ceské Budejovice – on 954 kHz with a power of 5 kW.”
According to Martin Hroch, CEO of Radio United Broadcasting [which owns Country Radio], the launch of the transmitters should probably take place in the summer months. It is not excluded that the new location Ceské Budejovice – Husova Kolonie will be launched first, the date depends on resolving signal issues, Liblice should follow.
"We are not pressured by a fixed date yet, but we would like to shut down Zbraslav [1062 kHz] in September," concluded Hroch. Country Radio is the third most listened-to station in the supra-regional radio category. According to Radioprojekt, 265,000 people tune in every day. https://www.mediaguru.cz (24 May)
(MW Rpt/BDXC June 2023 by Dave Kenny)
