Fire puts RNW Madagascar relay station off the air

MADAGASCAR

Fire puts RNW Madagascar relay station off the air. There has been a fire in the high voltage room of the external mains power supply at Radio Netherlands Worldwide's relay station in Madagascar. Firefighters from the Madagascan capital Antananarivo managed to bring the blaze under control within hours. The fire destroyed the high voltage circuit breaker equipment, so broadcasts from Madagascar will be suspended for at least three days and possibly up to a week. Some transmissions have already been moved to other sites, but because of the Christmas holidays this has taken longer than usual to organise. Additional changes are pending and will be published when confirmed.

Here are details of temporary replacement services from Dec.25 & 28 :

Radio Sweden International

0200-0300 on 11550 HBY 350 kW / 055 deg to SEAs in Swedish/English
2000-2100 on 9490 HBY 350 kW / 055 deg to SEAs in Swedish/English
2100-2200 on 7425 HBY 350 kW / 190 deg to SoAf in Swedish/English

Vatican Radio

0300-0430 on 9660 SMG 250 kW / 145 deg to EaAf in English/Swahili/Amharic
0330-0400 on 7360 SMG 250 kW / 130 deg to EaAf in Swahili
0430-0500 on 9660 SMG 250 kW / 170 deg to WeAf in French
0500-0530 on 9660 SMG 250 kW / 170 deg to SoAf in English
1600-1630 on 13765 SMG 250 kW / 169 deg to CeAf in Swahili

Voice of America

0430-0600 on 9885 BOT 100 kW / 010 deg to SoAf in English
0530-0630 on 7265 SAO 100 kW / 020 deg to NWAf in French Mon-Fri
1000-1030 on 21590 BOT 100 kW / 350 deg to SoAf in Portuguese Sat/Sun
1300-1400 on 15620 SAO 100 kW / 088 deg to EaAf in Somali
1700-1800 on 12080 LAM 100 kW / 132 deg to SoAf in Shona/English/Ndebele
2100-2130 on 9680 SAO 100 kW / 052 deg to WCAf in French

RFE/RL Radio Farda

0500-0600 on 12015 BIB 100 kW / 105 deg to WeAs in Farsi

Radio Dabanga
1630-1730 on 13800 NAU 250 kW / 150 deg to EaAf in Arabic from Dec.28

Radio Netherlands Worldwide
1400-1600 on 15595 HBY 350 kW / 095 deg to SoAs in English till Dec.27*
1730-1800 on 11655 NAU 250 kW / 140 deg to ECAf in Dutch from Dec.28
1800-2000 on 11655 ISS 500 kW / 138 deg to ECAf in Dutch from Dec.28
1900-2100 on 7425 ISS 500 kW / 155 deg to SoAf in English
2000-2100 on 11655 GUF 250 kW / 080 deg to WeAf in English
2100-2130 on 13700 BON 250 kW / 080 deg to WeAf in Dutch
*This has now been cancelled due to poor reception in the target area

No details for the following transmissions:

Adventist World Radio
0230-0330 on 3215 MDC 050 kW / 020 deg to MDC in Malagasy
1430-1530 on 3215 MDC 050 kW / 020 deg to MDC in Malagasy

Radio Voice of People
0400-0500 on 11610 MDC 050 kW / 265 deg to EaAf in English/Shona/Ndebele

Voice of Tibet
1330-1400 on 17550 MDC 250 kW / 045 deg to SoAs in Tibetan

Democratic Voice of Burma
1430-1530 on 17495 MDC 250 kW / 055 deg to SEAs in Burmese

Radio Dabanga
1530-1630 on 13800 MDC 250 kW / 325 deg to EaAf in Arabic

WYFR Family Radio
1600-1700 on 9590 MDC 250 kW / 320 deg to EaAf in Swahili
1800-2000 on 7395 MDC 250 kW / 320 deg to EaAf in English
1900-2100 on 6020 MDC 050 kW / 255 deg to SoAf in English

Radio Netherlands Worldwide
1630-1700 on 13740 MDC 250 kW / 350 deg to N/ME in Dutch
1700-1730 on 9895 MDC 250 kW / 335 deg to EaAf in Dutch
1730-1900 on 6020 MDC 250 kW / 255 deg to SoAf in Dutch

Fiangonana Loterana
1630-1700 on 3215 MDC 050 kW / 020 deg to MDC in Malagasy

Deutsche Welle
2200-2300 on 7380 MDC 250 kW / 080 deg to SEAs in Indonesian

(Ivo Ivanov, DX MIX NEWS # 605, 28 December 2009)