How Latin America Stations Are Received In United States

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 37, 22 March 1935, Page 2

How Latin America Stations Are Received In United States

ALTHOUGH it is usually only from short-wave enthusiasts that New: Zealand hears of broadcast reception of Latin American stations, it is interesting to find that in the United States there is some notice taken of the broadcasts from just across the tropics. Raymond M. Bell, of State College, Pennsylvania, here describes the main stations in the Latin America republics in an article which may provide a guide to long-distance enthusiasts in the Dominion.

LATIN America is composed of Mexico, the West Indies, Central America and South America.. There are nearly 300 broadcasters in this part of America, all using Spanish except Brazil, which uses Portuguese. Most of the stations use medium waves, except those near the equator, which use short waves to get away from the heavy tropical static. Mexico has fifty broadcasters in all parts of the republic. The best heard stations in the United States are the border ones: XENT Nuevo Laredo 910, XEPN Piedras Negras 590, and XEAW Reynosa 960 k.c. Some of these make occasional announcements in English. In Mexico

City XEW 890 provides a strong signal. Other smaller stations are heard at odd times or through interference. The only Mexican heard on short waves is XEBT Mexico City, 5960 k.c. This comes through nightly, and can be identified by the three toots on a siren horn. Most of the stations in the West Indies are Cuban. There are forty on medium waves and two on short waves. The medium wave stations are scattered all over the broadcast band. None are heard exceptionally well in the United States. A dozen or so come in under good conditions, but they are generally mixed up with American stations. COH, 9430 k.c., and COC, 6000 k.c.,. both in Havana, are heard very well at various periods from morning to night.

Porto Rico has WKAQ on 1240 and WNEL on 1290 k.c. Both stations are located at San Juan. The only broadcaster in Haiti is at Port au Prince, HHK, 920 k.c. The French language is chiefly used. The Dominican Republic has several tran3mitters on medium and short. waves. The chief station is HIX Santo Domingo, 1270 and 5980 k.c: There are about ten broadcasters in Central America. These are lo-. cated in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Sal-. vador, and Panama. While: some of the stations use medium waves. those on short waves are heard best in the United States. HP5B Panama City, 6030 k.c., comes in as well as any. The best heard South American stations are in Venezuela and Colombia. Caracas, "the city beautiful," is well received via YV1RC, 960, YV2RC, 6110, and YV3RC, 6150 k.c. These stations provide many interesting programmes. They are linked together each Thursday and Saturday at 8.30 p.m. E.S.T., with a programme in English. The principal medium wave Co!ombian station, HJN Bogota, 680, is seldom heard, but at least half of the fourteen shortwave HJ’S are logged regularly. The one that is received best in the States is HJ1ABB Barranquilla, 6420 k.c. Peru has several shortwave transmitters, which use various waves. PRF5 Rio de Janeiro, 9500, has been heard regularly. The same can be said of LSX Buenos Aires, 10350 k.c. The latter maintains a schedule with the Byrd ‘station, KFZ, each Wednesday at ‘10 ‘p.m. ES.Ti HC2RL Guayaquil, Ecuador, 6670 k.c., was heard very well Christmas night ' with a programme ‘dedicated’ to Boy Scouts in various couritries. CP5 La Paz, Bolivia, 6080, is heard occasionally. Except for YV1RC the medium; wave stations in South America are: heard only under exceptional conditions. Generally: every cliannel’ is occupied by an American or Cana-

‘dian station. When facilities were allocated none were given to any of the Latin American countries. Boliv.a,.Co:ombia, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela each have several medium wave broadcasters. Argentina has 30, Brazil 15, Chile 45, and Uruguay 25, December 31, 1934, was a very unusual night for reception of Latin American. stations. in the U.S.A. During a snowstorm Spanish-speak-ing stations were heard on twenty channels. Eight of these were Buenos Aires broadcasters, 5300 mi.es away. The best heard was LR5 Radio-Excelsior, 830 (29 k.w.), which came in at fuil speaker volume for an hour. At 10 p.m. E.S.T. the arrival! of 1935 in Buenos

Aire; was heard when a clock chimed twelve and ‘whistles and _ bells sounded. KOA Denver, 830 (50 k.w.), could not be heard. LR6 Radio-La Nacion, 870 (37 k.w.), came in very well with only a slight trace of WENR-WLS Chicago, 870 (50 :k.w.). ,LS2 Radio-Prieto, 1490 (20 k.w-), easily drowned out WOAI San Antonio, 1190, another 50 k.w.. station. LR4 and WBZ came in together, as did LR10 and WGY. LR2, 910, LR3, 950, and LS8, 1230, were on channels occupied by several North Americans, and therefore could not be heard. Reception of Latin America is always best: in the United’ States before a rain or snowstorm.