Return to Argentina: Argentina on Shortwave RAE

In our program today, we continue on from where we left off last week in the story of wireless and radio in Argentina. You will remember also that this was in response to a request from Jean Barbat in Beaumont, France; and so we take up the story today, with the shortwave radio scene.
It was somewhere around the late 1920s that the first radio broadcasts from Argentina were noted on shortwave. At the time, there were two shortwave communication stations active, one at Monte Grande and the other at Hurlingham.
The subsequent callsigns at Monte Grande were:-
LQA LQB LQC LSA LSC & LSD,
and we would suggest therefore that six shortwave transmitters were in operation, each rated at probably 10 kW.
The subsequent callsigns at Hurlingham were:-
LQR LSL LSM LSN & LSP,
and we would suggest therefore that five shortwave transmitters were in operation, each rated, again, at probably 10 kW.
It is noted that there were occasional shortwave broadcasts on the air from both locations, Monte Grande & Hurlingham, usually for special occasions, and sometimes there were occasional relays of mediumwave programs for network relay to country locations. Around the same era, some of the mediumwave stations in Argentina were also installing their own shortwave transmitters.
One of the well heard communication transmitters that often carried radio programming during the 1930s was the 10 kW LSX on 10350 kHz. This station was operated by Transradio Internacional and they issued attractive QSL cards to listeners in North America, Europe & the South Pacific for these broadcasts.

All through these eras, the total number of shortwave broadcast stations on the air in Argentina in any one year was usually around a dozen, with most of them and sometimes all of them, as part of the government owned radio networks.

Among the well known shortwave networks were:-
Radio El Mundo LRU at 7½ kW & LRX at 10 kW
Radio del Estrado LRA at 1 kW & 10 kW
Radio Splendid LRS at 10 kW
Radio Belgrano with callsigns LRY 5 kW in Argentina, & ZPA 5 kW in Paraguay

The official government operated international shortwave service was inaugurated on April 11, 1949 with the usage of two transmitters rated at 50 kW each. Nine years later, this international broadcasting service was renamed as Radiodifusion Argentina al Exterior, RAE Internacional. Programming was taken from mediumwave LRA with studios in the Central Post Office building, though a new self contained studio building was constructed in 1980.
In 1977, a Harris 100 kW transmitter was added to the facility known as the General Pacheco Transmitter Plant. Then, six years later again, RAE took over the five shortwave transmitters, rated at 1 kW, 7½ kW, & 10 kW, that were previously on the air as Radio El Mundo.
These days, RAE is listed with three shortwave transmitters, two at 50 kW & one at 100 kW; and, as was stated recently, they did not close their international shortwave broadcasting service at the end of last year after all. RAE has always been noted as a good verifier of listener reception reports.

Voice of America Relays in Argentina
It is probable that every radio broadcasting station in Argentina, mediumwave & shortwave, carried a relay of programming from the Voice of America in Washington DC in those earlier years. During the early 1940s, the shortwave programming from NBC in New York was relayed off air by 130 stations in South America, including Argentina; Crosley programming in Cincinnati was relayed by 28 stations; and CBS had their relay network down there also. From February 1, 1942 onwards, all of this relay programming formed a part of the Voice of America network.
Beginning on May 4, 1942, the VOA took out a specific 13 week relay via the eleven station network of Radio El Mundo in Argentina, and this included shortwave LRX with two transmitters rated at 7 kW & 10 kW. Then, in May 1943 for example, station LSN2, a feeder transmitter at Hurlingham, was noted in New Zealand on 9890 kHz with a relay from CBS in New York. This had to be a VOA program produced by CBS, and it would appear that Buenos Aires was relaying this programming on shortwave for rebroadcast by local mediumwave stations in countryside areas.

Adventist World Radio in Asia - RAE Relay & QSL Cards
As an interesting side note, Adventist World Radio at one stage issued a valid QSL card on behalf of RAE Internacional in Argentina. By previous arrangement, a special program segment was inserted into the old AWR DX program, “Radio Monitors International”, on behalf of RAE in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
This program was broadcast on international shortwave on August 12, 1984 by the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, as well as by some of their Home Service stations on shortwave, mediumwave and FM. RAE Argentina sent 200 QSL cards to the AWR-Asia office in Poona India, in two different designs, and these were issued to verify the special broadcast back a quarter of a century ago.
(AWR Wavescan/ NWS # 113 via Adrian Peterson)

A nostalgic look at Argentina's radio scene

Don't Cry for Me Argentina: The Radio Scene in South American Argentina

It was announced during the month of January, that RAE Argentina, Radiodifusion Argentina Al Exterior, the international shortwave broadcasting service in Argentina, is not closing after all, but instead will continue its international service on shortwave. Then too, during our listener contest last year, one listener asked for a station profile on an interesting shortwave station in South America, and another specifically asked for similar information regarding RAE Argentina.
In response to all three of these matters, in our program today, we begin a two part feature on radio broadcasting in Argentina. We have chosen as the title for this topic, “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina”, which is reminiscent of a powerful melody with remarkable lyrics. This week, we speak on early wireless and radio in Argentina; and next week, on the shortwave service RAE in particular; and also, Voice of America relays in Argentina.

Argentina is a large country in South America with a population of 40 million people. The country is 2,300 miles long and 1,000 miles wide, with Buenos Aires on the north coast as its capital city, and Ushaia down south on the nearby island of Terra del Fuego, as the most southerly town in the world. The famous Iguacu Falls on the border with Brazil, 237 feet high and 2 miles wide, are a major tourist attraction, as are the beaches along the Atlantic coast.
In its early pre-history, several Indian cultures lived in tribal areas within Argentina, though not as densely populated as further north. Just before the arrival of the first Europeans, the Inca Empire invaded the area of what is today northwest Argentina.
The first European to land in Argentina was the Spanish explorer, Juan de Solis, who arrived at the Rio de la Plata in 1516. Over the years, there were several attempts at establishing viable settlements in Argentina; and in 1542, Spain exerted control over all Spanish settlements in South America, organizing all of them into one large colonial administration.
In 1816, Argentina declared its independence from Spain as the United Provinces of La Plata; and in 1881 Patagonia in the south was absorbed into Argentina, thus establishing the boundaries of Argentina pretty well as we know them today.
On the wireless scene, it was on August 4, 1906, that the Argentine Marconi Company was formed for business in both Argentina & Uruguay. Four years later, Marconi himself visited Buenos Aires in Argentina, and while there he installed a rudimentary transmission device, which included a kite for use as the aerial, and a set of earphones. The location was the southern suburb of Bernal and the year was 1910. With this simple apparatus, Marconi succeed in communicating with Canada & Ireland.
During the year 1910, an official list of wireless stations shows a total of eight on the air throughout Argentina, including a fixed facility at this same Bernal location under the callsign MBL.
Construction work for a huge new wireless station at Monte Grande, some 12 miles from Buenos Aires, began in 1918. The main transmitting station was developed on a property of 1200 acres, and two low frequency transmission alternators were installed.
The antenna system for this wireless giant, nearly two miles in length, was supported on ten towers imported from France & Germany, each 680 ft tall. The counterpoise earthing system consisted of a buried network of wires, as well as a system of wires, 30 ft above ground level.
The Monte Grande Wireless Station was officially opened for international service in January 1924 under the callsign LPZ. The corresponding stations in overseas countries were located in New York, Paris & Berlin. The receiver station in Argentina was located at Villa Eliza, 20 miles from Buenos Aires.
The two Alexanderson alternators installed at the Monte Grande communication station were in continuous usage until they were de-commissioned seven years later in 1931. By that time, a bevy of shortwave transmitters had been installed at this location.
The broadcast of radio programming had a very early beginning in Argentina. A man by the name of Enrique Susini, together with three friends, established a make shift radio studio in the Teatro Coliseo in Buenos Aires which was under renovation at the time. They constructed a small 5 watt radio transmitter, erected an antenna wire from the theatre building to the dome of a neighboring building, and hooked in a microphone normally used by people with a hearing loss.
At 8:30 pm on August 27, 1920, the opening announcement was made in the Spanish language stating that the Radio Argentina Society was presenting the opera Parsifal by Richard Wagner. This live radio broadcast was taken from the stage of the theatre and it was heard by an estimated radio audience of less than 20 people, including a ship way up north off the coast of Brazil. The local newspaper, La Razon, published a raving review of the event, and the President of the nation, Hipolito Yrigoyen, commended the group for their initiative in producing Argentina’s first radio broadcast.
During the next 19 days, many more radio broadcasts were presented over the little 5 watt transmitter and temporary aerial wire, including two of Verdi’s operettas, Aida & Rigoletto. Over a period of time, Radio Argentina grew until it became a widespread network throughout the whole nation, until its demise ¾ of a century later, at the end of December 1997.
These days, Argentina is on the air from 1½ thousand AM mediumwave and FM radio stations that provide virtually total coverage to the entire population of their country. According to the World Radio TV Handbook, Radio Nacional operates two high powered mediumwave stations at 100 kW each, LRA1 on 870 kHz for capital city coverage & LRA7 on 750 kHz at Cordoba, for regional coverage inland in the center of the northern part of the country.
In our program next week, we will present the shortwave story in Argentina, including the development of their international broadcasting station RAE, as well as the network of Voice of America, VOA, relay stations in Argentina. We will also call the listener, Jean Barbat in France, who made the request for this particular feature.
(AWR Wavescan/NWS 112 via Adrian Peterson)

RAE launches listeners contest to August 17

RAE, the Foreign Service of the Argentine Public Radio, with the collaboration of the Radiolisteners Group of Argentina launches a contest for our audience in Argentina and in the world.

The requirement is to send us two reception reports: one on our Spanish-language program and the other on any of the other languages broadcasts (English, French, German, Italia, Portuguese and Japanese).

The contest began on August 3, 2009 and reception reports will have to cover any of our programs until 2359 hours of August 17, a date selected to pay homage to the most important national hero of Argentina, General San Martín. “The father of the country”, as we call him, died on August 17, 1850.

Reception reports must be sent by e-mail to rae@radionacional.gov.ar or by traditional mail to RAE, PO Box 555, post code: C1000WAF, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Reports will be accepted until September 30, 2009. All participants will receive a QSL cards. Among all who take part in the contest, there will be a prize draw for two Argentine music CD compilations. (Arnaldo Slaen, Buenos Aires, Argentina)

RAE website: www.radionacional.com.ar/

All times UTC

English
0200-0300 11710
1800-1900 mtwhf 9690, 15345

French
0300-0400 mtwhf 11710
2000-2100 mtwhf 9690, 15345

German
1700-1800 mtwhf 9690,15345
2100-2200 mtwhf 9690, 15345

Italian
1900-2000 mtwhf 9690, 15345

Portuguese
0000-0100 mtwhf 11710
1100-1200 mtwhf 6060, 11710

Spanish
0900-1000 mtwhf 6060,
1200-1300 mtwhf 11710
1300-1400 mtwhf 11710
2300-0000 mtwhf 6090, 11710

(Gayle Van Horn/Monitoring Times Frequency Manager)