History of MW broadcasting in Wien and Niederösterreich
Written by Stefan Greve, revised by Walter Brummer.
From Radio Hekaphon to RAVAG
Austrian Radio started with private test transmissions April 1,
1923,
using a 0.1 kW transmitter on 500 kHz. Since December 13, an entertainment programme named "Radio Hekaphon"
was broadcasted.
The official broadcaster "Radio-Verkehrs-AG" (RAVAG) took over on
August 5,
1924.
The transmitter Wien-Stubenring (0.35 kW, 566 kHz) replaced the one of
Radio Hekaphon on October 1,
1924. In January
1925 the power was raised
to 0.7 kW, and since
1926 the frequency was 520 kHz.
However, at this time the Stubenring transmitter was already demoted to
"Wien II", but remained active until
1928.
"Wien I" was the transmitter Rosenhügel, on air since January 30,
1926.
On May 8,
1928 a new 15 kW transmitter is installed, while the original
(7 kW) is moved to Graz. The frequency was always 580 kHz.
The Bisamberg transmitter
The 100 kW transmitter Bisamberg replaced Wien-Rosenhügel on May 28,
1933. In
1934 the frequency was changed from 580 to 592 kHz.
Since Wien is located in the east of
Austria, in
1934 a reflector
mast east of the transmitter mast was installed, directing the
transmissions towards the west. This principle was used for the first
time in Europe.
Germany annexed Austria in
1938, and Bisamberg carried the new
"Reichssender Wien".
The end of the "Reich" also marked the end of the transmitter. On April
13,
1945, the SS blew it up. The transmitter as well as the two
Blaw-Knox towers where completely destroyed.
An additional transmitter "Wien II", probably a military
transmitting unit (broadcasting on 250 kHz), was moved westward to Bad
Aussee in April
1945.
(There it briefly became "Freiheitssender Ausseerland".)
In
1945, Austria was split into four Occupation Zones. Wien was split
into five Sectors (American, British, French, Soviet, and
International), and became the capital of the Soviet Zone.
The Soviet Sector
"Radio Wien" returned to air on April 29,
1945.
Until
1950, two 10 kW-transmitters are active: Wien I on 592 kHz and
Wien II on 1312 kHz. The Soviet controlled station used the old name
"RAVAG". The power of 10 kW is based on a supposition because the
Soviets did not make public any transmitter power data at that time.
Since
1950 Wien I (584 kHz, 35 kW) came from Bisamberg, while Wien II
(1475 kHz, 2 kW) was located in the Thaliastraße in the French Sector.
The Copenhagen plan allowed 120 kW for 584 kHz, while 1475 kHz was
scheduled as common wave of Austrian stations with moderate power. (For
Wien II, 30 kW was planned.)
The American Sector
"Rot-Weiß-Rot", the broadcaster of the American Zone, also had a
transmitter in Wien, first with only 1 kW on 731 kHz. The transmitter
site was located at the Sulzwiese just 1 km west of todays Kahlenberg
FM & TV tower. Soon the frequency was changed to 1429 kHz and
to 755 kHz on March 15,
1950.
Circa
1948 the power of the station was raised to 15 kW.
Because the Sulzwiese transmitter site was barely outside Vienna’s city
boundary in the Sovjet zone of Niederösterreich [but also the official
airport of the US forces in Austria was in the Sovjet zone], a change in
location was strongly required. In
1951 the transmissions were moved to
a new site at the Wilhelminenberg. Initially, the 100 kW transmitter was
used with 20 kW on a provisory antenna mast, but since 1953 the
transmitter Wilhelminenberg with 100 kW was the strongest in Wien. A
new antenna consisted of two masts which allowed directional
transmissions towards the west.
On both sites – Sulzwiese and Wilhelminenberg – foundations for masts
and guys exists until today.
Also, an 1 kW-transmitter carried AFN’s "Blue Danube Network" – also
mentioned with the US callsign WOFA – on 1068 kHz (switched to 1142 kHz on March
15,
1950 , in late 1950/early
1951 to 1034 kHz).
The British Sector
For the "Alpenland" programme a 6 kW-transmitter on 1285 kHz
(synchronized with Graz and Klagenfurt) was used until
1949. Then 565
kHz (566 kHz since
1952) was used with 15 kW. The location of this
transmitter was in the southern part of the park of Schönbrunn palace.
During the year
1953 the transmitter power obviously was reduced
significantly to 0.25 kW. Between July 8, 1954 and the end of
“Alpenland”on July 27,
1955 the frequency was 520 kHz with an indicated
power of 1.5 kW.
BFN was active on 868 kHz with 0.8 kW and kept this frequency until the
end of transmissions in
1955. The transmitter was located in the third
city district south of the centre of Vienna.
(The French Sector had no radio stations.)
Reunification
On November 1,
1953 allied radio programmes were merged to a national
Austrian Radio. Two nationwide programmes were to be formed with
the best possible use of existing transmitting equipment – a complicated
and long-winding matter.
The first programme with focus on information was to be regional with
subsidiaries in Vienna, Graz, Klagenfurt, Linz, Salzburg, Innsbruck and
Dornbirn. The second programme with focus on education and cultural
events was to be national. Moreover, a third national (FM) programme
existed since September 6,
1953 on experimental basis with focus on
light music.
Initially, the second programmes of “Radio Wien”, “Rot-Weiß-Rot” and
“Sendergruppe Alpenland” were merged. Innsbruck followed on December
21,
1953. Dornbirn had no second programme at that time. Since February
14,
1954 common news were produced on all programmes, but own
programmes of “Radio Wien”, “Rot-Weiß-Rot” and “Sendergruppe Alpenland”
were permitted until July 27,
1955, because the Austrian State Treaty,
which regulated allied forces drawdown, was signed on March 15,
1955.
On March 15,
1954, “Radio Wien”,
“Rot-Weiß-Rot” and “Sendergruppe Alpenland” are merged to “Österreichischer
Rundfunk”. “Sendergruppe West” with Innsbruck and Dornbirn
followed in
1955.
On March 8,
1954, the "Rot-Weiß-Rot" frequency 584 kHz was given to the
100 kW-transmitter Linz-Kronstorf (formerly on 773 kHz) for the
National Programme. Wien I (Bisamberg) switched to 566 kHz, formerly
used by “Sendergruppe Alpenland”, which changed to 520 kHz.
"Rot-Weiß-Rot" Wien on 755 kHz was closed on July 27,
1955. Now
Wilhelminenberg (100 kW) carried the National Programme on 584 kHz
(Linz-Kronstorf switched to 1025 kHz, synchronized with Graz-Dobl).
On November 6,
1955 the Regional Programme changed from 566 kHz to the
ultimate frequency of 1475 kHz, operated with 25 kW from Bisamberg.
Until July 28,
1955, the 1475 kHz from the Thaliastraße transmitter
were used for National Programme respectively Wien II.
The "Alpenland" transmitter Wien-Schönbrunn on 520 kHz took over the
National Programme since July 28,
1955, but was closed on December 11,
1955.
The “Blue Danube Network” was switched off in Vienna on August 28,
1955, while “British Forces Network” ran until September 25,
1955.
Raise of Power
Since August 17,
1959, both 584 and 1475 kHz came from Bisamberg with
150 kW. For each frequency a pair of 120 kW-transmitters and a separate
antenna are used. Todays antenna masts at the Bisamberg originally came
from the big directional antenna system at Linz-Kronstorf, built by the
use US in 1950/51. Two of three antenna masts at Kronstorf were
dismantled end of 1956 and subsequently rebuilt at the Bisamberg.
In
1967 the National Programme became "Österreich 1", while the
Regional was now "Österreich Regional".
The Geneva Plan (1974/75) allowed to raise the power on both frequencies to
1200 kW.
The first 600 kW-transmitter was activated in
1975. It carried 584 kHz
at day and 1475 kHz at night. Other times, the power was 240 kW.
Decline
Instead of installing three more 600 kW-transmitters, Austrian Radio
drastically reduced its medium wave broadcasts in
1977. From now on,
only a mix of all three programmes is broadcasted over the frequencies
of "Ö 1", while the transmitters of "Ö R" are closed at September 5,
1977. However, additional to 584/585 kHz (600/240 kW), 1475/1476 kHz
was still used with 600 kW at night.
During the 1980s and 1990s, one Austrian mediumwave transmitter after
the other was closed.
Finally, Wien-Bisamberg ceased broadcasting on January 1,
1995.
As it seems, the era of AM broadcasting in Austria was over.
Revival
1476 kHz returned to air on March 21,
1997, using one of the 120
kW-transmitters with half power.
On May 3,
1999 the 600 kW-transmitter was reactivated for special
broadcasts during the NATO attacks against Serbia. This lasted about
three months.
In
2000, a transistorised 100 kW-transmitter (used with 60 kW) took
over.
At the end of
2008, Austrian mediumwave broadcasts are ended again.
Low power stations
While Wien needed not that many low power relay transmitters as the
stations in the alps, a few have been in use from the 1950s to 70s. The
power was 0.05 kW (only St. Pölten was raised from 0.025 kW to 0.2 kW around 1956).
"I" relayed 1475 kHz, "II" relayed 584 kHz. All stations are in
Niederösterreich (the small Burgenland never had any AM transmitters).
Amstetten I: 1457 kHz (c. 1953 to 1969)
Gloggnitz I: 1457 kHz (c. 1953 to 1955), 674 kHz (c. 1956 to 1971)
Gmünd I: 1394 kHz (c. 1966 to early 1970s)
Gmünd II: 1052 kHz (c. 1966 to early 1970s)
Krems I: 1052 kHz (c. 1953 to mid 1960), 1124 kHz (late 1960s)
Neunkirchen I: 1052 kHz (c. 1953 to early 1970s)
St. Pölten I: 1457 kHz (c. 1953 to 1955), 1484 kHz (c. 1956 to 1969)
Wiener Neustadt I: 1457 kHz (c. 1953 to May 31, 1968)
Zwettl I: 692 kHz (c. 1953 to 1960), 1594 kHz (c. 1961 to mid 1970s)
Zwettl II: 1142 kHz (c. 1967 to mid 1970s)
The installation of new transmitters was stopped in
1969, but the full
network was part of the Geneva plan from
1975.
Main sources:
http://members.aon.at/wabweb/frames/radioaf.htm
World Radio (TV) Handbook