Radio-télévision belge de la Communauté française (RTBF): Three Recordings

Many thanks to hb9gce for these recordings of RTBF:

RTBF International 621 kHz Final Sign-off: December 31, 2018

Live off-air recording of the final hour or so of programming from the RTBF transmitter on 621 kHz at Wavre, Belgium, on 31 December 2018 beginning just before 18:00 UTC. Although rated at 300 kW, it has been reported that recently the transmitter was operated at a lower power.

The programming on 621 kHz was a combination of selected programs from RTBF's La Première and VivaCité stations and was referred to as RTBF International ("La radio des belges dans le monde") since the signal could be received outside Belgium via the 621 kHz transmitter, and also via C-band satellite, FM in Kinshasa, and via the Internet. These latter distribution modes continue in operation.

After an announcement about the closing of the mediumwave service on 31 December, there is a news bulletin, which is followed by a program in a series about Charles Aznavour. Following that program and the mediumwave closure announcement, there is a news bulletin, the normal evening close-down announcement, and the Belgian national anthem. The transmitter was switched off at about 19:38 UTC.

The broadcast was received by the Web-interface wideband software-defined radio at the University of Twente in Enschede, The Netherlands, with a "Mini-Whip" antenna in AMSync mode with 5.08 kHz RF filtering. There is some interference from other stations operating on 621 kHz.

Radio Vlaanderen Internationaal (Flanders International Radio): June 24, 2004

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Benjamin Bilyeu, who shares the following recording and notes:

Date of recording: 6/24/2004

Starting time: 2200 UTC

Frequency: 11.635 Mhz

Receiver location: Cookeville, Tennessee, USA

Receiver and antenna: Grundig Satellit 800 with 50 foot long wire outdoor antenna