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The A08 season saw the closure of the French service on 5990 kHz, reduction to daytime broadcasting in DRM on 1440 kHz and to WRN selling airtime in DRM on 6095 kHz. In B09 RTL radio uses 1440 kHz from 0700-1700 UTC; the service on 6095 kHz is highly variable.
RTL in Luxembourg has promoted Digital Radio Mondiale from the word go and quickly established two twenty four hour services on 5990 kHz in French (RTL France) and a multi-lingual service on 6095 kHz that relayed several local RTL services such as RTL Letzebuerg , Bel-RTL , RTL 2 , Fun Radio and RTL in German. However RTL is now relaying RTL in German only. The familiar frequency of 1440 kHz (208 Metres) was also converted to Digital Radio Mondiale. The 1440 service is beamed to Belgium from 0000-0430 with 120 kW and from 0800-1700 to Germany with 240 kW. Digital Radio Mondiale mode A is used during the day and mode B when sky wave propagation is likely. Times are local time that adjust for daylight saving.
In the autumn of 2005 Radio Luxembourg was (re) launched on short-wave from 0900-1700 and also online. This is probably the first new service created for Digital Radio Mondiale and is a historic development. Radio Luxembourg uses transmitters in Germany.
RTL’s medium wave broadcasts originate in Marnach where there are at least three 600 kW transmitters. The French and German services come from Junglinster using modified transmitters that are 30 years old. The English service is relayed from transmitters in Germany. RTL is also seeking to co-ordinate the use of four new medium and long wave frequencies. This process can take several years to complete. The next candidate for conversion may be the long wave transmitter on 234 kHz that is also located at Beidweiler near Junglinster.
RTL has also operated low powered 26 MHz transmitters within Luxembourg that carry the English & and sometimes the French service. The listed frequencies are 25745 kHz and 25805 kHz.
In the spring of 2007 Radio Luxembourg in English abruptly shut down its high-powered DRM service for the UK citing technical reasons. Radio Luxembourg is one of the stations in one of the consortiums bidding to provide the second national commercial DAB multiplex in the UK but was beaten by Channel 4 radio. |
