WBCQ: A One-of-a-Kind Shortwave Radio Station

 

A brokered programming business model has kept the station on the air for 26 years

BY JAMES CARELESS

PUBLISHED: JULY 24, 2024

There are all kinds of shortwave radio stations in the world, but WBCQ seems unique.

Allan Weiner at the foot of the rotatable antenna installed in 2018.

Located in Monticello, Maine, WBCQ is an up-to-500,000 watt shortwave powerhouse that covers the world via 7.490 MHz, 9.330 MHz, 5.130 MHz, 3.265 MHz, and 6.160 MHz — depending on the time of day, to maximize signal propagation by bouncing off the ionosphere. 

The same rural broadcasting center and antenna/transmitter site is also home to local stations WXME(AM) — carrying talk and rock music on 780 kHz with a translator on 98.3 MHz — and WBCQ(FM), airing classic country on 94.7.

“WBCQ is probably the only shortwave, AM and FM combination radio station in the United States,” said Allan Weiner, a lifelong radio broadcaster/engineer who has owned and operated it with his wife Angela since 1998. “It’s a ma-and-pa station. I’m Pa, and Ma is sitting next to me right now.”

Additional story at: https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/news-makers/wbcq-a-one-of-a-kind-shortwave-radio-station

(Photo/Radio World)

World's Last Chance Radio, summer schedule update

 

USA, WBCQ - WLC Radio (World's Last Chance)

Complete summer schedule revisions

All times UTC/ broadcast daily 

Arabic

0700-1000 13840 (af/me) Sofia, Bulgaria relay

1800-2100 9800 (af/me)  Woffertton, UK relay

English

0100-0600 9330 (na) WBCQ Monticello, ME

0900-1000 9330 (na) WBCQ Monticello, ME

1300-1900 9330 (na, eu) WBCQ Monticello, ME

1700-1900 17700 (af) Wofferton, UK relay

French

0800-0900 9330 (eu) WBCQ Monticello, ME

German

1900-2200 9330 (eu) WBCQ Monticello, ME

Portuguese

1100-1200 9330 (eu) WBCQ Monticello, ME

2200-0100 9330 (af, sa) WBCQ Monticello, ME

Spanish

0600-0800 9330 (sa) WBCQ Monticello, ME

1000-1100 9330 (eu) WBCQ Monticello, ME

1200-1300 9330 (ca) WBCQ Monticello, ME

Target Areas:

af Africa

ca Central America

eu Europe

me Middle East

sa South Africa

The 500 kW Super Station transmitter on 9330 kHz at the WBCQ transmitter site, and used by WLC, is currently off the air awaiting repairs. WLC Radio is currently being broadcast from a lower power backup transmitter, resulting in lower signal strength and readability.

(WRTH 26 Jul 2021)

From the Isle of Music and Uncle Bill's Melting Pot schedules, March 8-14

From the Isle of Music, March 8-14: 

This week, our special guest is Antonio Duverger, leader of the changüi ensemble Son del Guaso. Also, we taste a new album by Barbarito Torres and a new single by Orquesta Failde featuring Omara Portuondo.

The broadcasts take place:
For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target area in most of the Eastern Hemisphere (including parts of East Asia and Oceania) with 100 kW Sunday 1500-1600 UTC on SpaceLine, 9400 KHz, from Sofia, Bulgaria (1800-1900 MSK)

If you don’t have a shortwave radio or are out of range, you can listen live to an uplink from a listening radio in the Netherlands during the broadcast at
http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/?tune=9400am 

For the Americas and parts of Europe, Tuesday 0000-0100 (New UTC) on WBCQ, 7490 kHz from Monticello, ME, USA (Monday 8-9PM EST in the US).

If you don’t have a shortwave or are out of range, you can listen to a live stream from the WBCQ website here (choose 7490): http://www.wbcq.com/?page_id=7 

For Europe and sometimes beyond, Tuesday 1900-2000 UTC and Saturday 1200-1300 UTC on Channel 292, 6070 kHz from Rohrbach, Germany.

If you don’t have a shortwave radio or are out of range, you can listen live to an uplink from a listening radio in Europe.

Visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/fromtheisleofmusic 

Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot, March 8 and 10: 

Episode 155, It’s About Time, acknowledges the change to daylight savings time with songs about time and clock.

On WBCQ only, there is a second half-hour featuring one of the first episodes of our show in 2017.
The transmissions take place:

Sundays 2200-2300 NEW UTC (6:00PM -7:00PM Eastern US) on WBCQ The Planet 7490 kHz from the US to the Americas and parts of Europe

If you don’t have a shortwave or are out of range, you can listen to a live stream from the WBCQ website here (choose 7490): http://www.wbcq.com/?page_id=7 

Tuesdays 2000-2030 UTC on Channel 292, 6070 kHz from Rohrbach, Germany for Europe.

If you don’t have a shortwave radio or are out of range, you can listen live to an uplink from different web SDRs in Europe.

Visit our Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/UncleBillsMeltingPot 
(William "Bill" Tilford, Owner/Producer, Tilford Productions, LLC)

Update on WBCQ Last Chance Ministry

Monticello, Maine

The new 500 kW WBCQ transmitter on 9330 kHz, began testing their new high power
transmitter on 12 June. Tests have continued with improved reception and better audio noted
in Europe - best time to hear it is late evening and early morning.

Various test programming has been heard but it is expected to shift to World’s Last Chance soon. The new transmitter has been tested mainly in the 2000-0800 UTC period with the old transmitter still in use at other times. The World’s Last Chance launch date is set for Monday 8 July.

This revised schedule has been registered by WBCQ with the HFCC for World’s Last Chance on 9330 kHz with the new 500 kW transmitter (subject to change)

All times UTC

0000-0100 on 9330 Portuguese
0100-0200 on 9330 Hindi
0200-0300 on 9330 Arabic
0300-0400 on 9330 Hindi
0400-0500 on 9330 Arabic
0500-0600 on 9330 Spanish
0600-0700 on 9330 Portuguese
0700-0800 on 9330 Mandarin
0800-0900 on 9330 Korean
0900-1000 on 9330 Indonesian
1000-1100 on 9330 Mandarin
1100-1200 on 9330 Korean
1200-1300 on 9330 Indonesian
1300-1400 on 9330 English
1400-1500 on 9330 Spanish
1500-1600 on 9330 English
1600-1700 on 9330 French
1700-1800 on 9330 English
1800-1900 on 9330 German
1900-2000 on 9330 English
2000-2100 on 9330 Spanish
2100-2200 on 9330 German
2200-2300 on 9330 English
2300-2400 on 9330 French
(DX Mix-Bulgaria)

Isle of Music program schedule for March 7

March 7 in the Americas (March 8 in Europe, Asia and Africa), our special guest will be Ethiel Failde, whose Orquesta Miguel Failde defends the Danzon, with an interview we recorded in Havana along with some music from their new album. The Danzon influenced the development of early North American Jazz. We also continue sharing the wonderful Cuban Classical album Piñera Concertante; we'll play 10-15 minutes of this each of the next few weeks. And, of course, more great music from Cuba including a taste of Los Latinos, a popular dance band from the 70s, some of the great Cuban Jazz album Estado de Animo and the great Timba album by El Niño y la Verdad.

*** Every Monday night from 8pm-9pm EST in North, Central and South America (Tuesday morning from 0100-0200 UTC in Europe and Africa) on the short waves on WBCQ The Planet, 7.490 MHz: From the Isle of Music, a new radio program dedicated to the music of Cuba – Jazz, Fusion, Timba, Nueva Trova, Son, Classical, Folklorica, interviews with musicians, even a little history of the music now and then. Partly in English, en parte en español. “Like” our page to keep informed about what we will bring you. (For those without shortwave or outside of viable signal range, there are also a couple of ways to stream the frequency via Internet; see the instructions in our NOTES section).
William "Bill" Tilford, Owner/Producer