KYRGYZSTAN ON SHORTWAVE

(This post is an edited version of an article I wrote for "The World of Shortwave Listening" column of The Spectrum Monitor magazine - April 2021 issue. Further details on this excellent publication are available at www.thespectrummonitor.com)

A challenging station to pick up on shortwave is Birinchi Radio, which is the public broadcasting corporation from the Kyrgyzstan capital of Bishkek.

The station has operated on the two frequencies of 4010 and 4820 kHz for many years now. However, the 4820 outlet is more difficult to hear due to its irregular schedule and lower power. The other frequency is more accurately 4010.21 kHz just outside the 75-meter band, listed as 100kW and can be heard with patience and a good antenna!

Depending on seasonal propagation characteristics, for listeners in North America, try between 0000 and 0200 UTC when the all-darkness short path takes the signal over northern Europe and Greenland to Eastern North America. Alternatively, try listening between 1200 and 1330 UTC, where you can sometimes have success with the help of grey-line propagation. For listeners in Europe and Asia, the station should be audible during evening hours. Transmissions are in Kyrgyz and Russian.

Radio broadcasting in Kyrgyzstan began 90 years ago, starting on January 20, 1931. During the Soviet era, the Kyrgyz SSR broadcaster was largely a propaganda vehicle for Moscow. After the breakup of the USSR, the country gained independence and sovereignty, resulting in broadcasts that focussed more on its own culture, heritage, and national pride.

Magnificent mountain ranges of Kyrgyzstan

Located in Central Asia and officially known as the Kyrgyz Republic, the country shares borders with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and China. So, given its location, Birinchi Radio can often be heard playing a broad range of music with influences drawn from Europe and Asia plus its own rich regional folk songs and dances.

73 and good DX to you all

Rob Wagner VK3BVW