Radio Metropolitana: November 10, 2022

Live, off-air, three-hour excerpt of a recording of the provincial Cuban station Radio Metropolitana, CMBL, Havana, Cuba, on 10 November 2022 beginning at about 20:00 UTC. The station operates on an frequency of 910 kHz from a transmitter in the Villa Maria area of the Distrito de Guanabacoa municipality of Havana with a power of 5 kW and an omnidirectional antenna. The station also transmits on 98.3 MHz in the FM band.

The transmission was received on a Tecsun PL-880 portable receiver with its built-in ferrite-bar-loop antenna in Marathon, Florida, in AM mode with 2.3 kHz RF filtering. Reception was fairly good with some background noise due to the slightly weak signal associated with the over 200 km long-range reception.

Radio Metropolitana is part of the group of stations that make up the Provincial Directorate of Radio in Havana with studios in the FOCSA building in Havana's Vedado district. It is on the air 24 hours a day and offers cultural programming with a strong presence of music aimed at families in the capital city. Its slogan is "La radio de casa" and its theme tune is a fragment of the familiar song "El Manisero" ("The Peanut Vendor") by Cuban composer Moisés Simons. Both can be heard frequently in this recording.

The recording begins with a song by Puerto Rican singer Kany García followed by the program "De Buena Tinta" (literally "of good ink" but an idiomatic expression meaning "on good authority") beginning at 20:00 UTC. This is a news program for residents of Havana including events taking place, weather, and sports. At 20:30 UTC, there is the program "La Novela" (The Novel) with an instalment of "La Flor de los Sueños" (The Flower of Dreams). Next is "Un Amigo Cincero" (A Sincere Friend), a brief program on the literature of José Martí. The program "Por La Habana" (Around Havana) begins at 21:00 UTC. This program is mostly music with Cuban jazz, blues, and funk. Between every few musical items is a discussion of indigenous languages in Latin America and elsewhere and their impact on music. At 22:30 UTC, the program "Para Luego es Tarde" (meaning colloquially "no time like the present") begins. This edition features a discussion about corn (maize), its history and how it is grown, harvested, marketed, prepared for food and other uses. Midway through the program there is a musical interlude with a short discussion about the Bee Gees with excerpts of several of their songs. During some of the programs in the recording, mention is made of the 503rd anniversary of the founding of Havana on 16 November 1519. Public service announcements about health and other matters are also present throughout the recording.

Radio Havana Cuba: December 18, 2014

Many thanks to SRA contributor, Matt Todd, who shares the following recording and notes:

On December 17, 2014 it was announced that diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba would be restored and an exchange of prisoners between the two countries would occur. This is the Radio Havana Cuba broadcast from that day. It was recorded December 18, 2014 at 0159 UTC on 6000khz using a Yaesu FT-857 in Hugo, MN.

Program Details:

00:00 Sign-on

01:25 News - Prisioners released in exchange, US and Cuba announced discussion to normalize relations, Complaint filed in relation to Bush era torture programs, Talaban attack in Afghanastan, Jeb Bush running for US President

12:00 Address from Cuban President Raul Castro

18:50 Commentary on ISIS

24:10 Sports

29:45 Cuban Music

34:25 News

39:00 Mailbag

51:15 Arts Roundup

Starting time: 0159 UTC

Frequency: 6 MHz

RX location: Hugo, MN

Receiver and antenna: Yaesu FT-857 and wire loop around the perimeter of the attic

Radio Habana Cuba (51 aniversario): February 16, 2016

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Emilio Ruiz, who shares this recording of Radio Havana Cuba's Spanish Language Service. This recording was made on February 16, 2016 starting at 6:00 UTC on 11.760 MHz. This recording was made in Chiapas, México with a Keenwood R-600 and Magnetic Loop antenna.

Radio Havana Cuba (death of Fidel Castro): November 26, 2016

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, James KG5ST, who notes:

The program was first aired RHC on November 26, 2016

This recording was recorded starting at about 06:00 UTC on Nov 27, 2016 via the W7RNA websdr located in Sedona, Arizona, USA.

The program was a special in remembrance of the death of Fidel Castro, leader of the Cuban Revolution, on November 25, 2016. The program included remembrances, editorials, reflections by world leaders and a special edition of the Mailbag show, with letters from listeners mourning the death of Hermano Fidel.

I thought this was a moment in history that needed to be recorded and shared.

James, KG5JST

Radio Havana Cuba, Barack Obama and Raúl Castro Press Conference in Cuba: March 21, 2016

The following off-air recording of Radio Havana Cuba was made on March 21, 2016, starting a couple of minutes prior to 1800 UTC on 11,670 kHz (at an AM bandwidth of 12.5 kHz). This was a historic event: the first time a US president has visited Cuba in over 8 decades. The following recording includes the live coverage of the Obama/Casto press conference, followed by one hour of RHC's English language service and a part of RHC's French language service.

The receiver used was a WinRadio Excalibur connected to a Pixel Loop Pro magnetic loop antenna. Location received was North Carolina.

Radio Reloj: August 30, 2015

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Richard Langley, who notes:

Live recording of Radio Reloj (CMBD), Havana, Cuba, on 30 August 2015 beginning at about 15:55 UTC on a frequency of 950 kHz. The signal originates from a 10 kW transmitter at Arroyo Arenas / San Augustin, near Havana, using the Centros Transmisores de Ondas Medias 1 (CTOM1) non-directional antenna facility.

(Radio Reloj can be heard on various frequencies in the AM and FM bands in Cuba and live on the Internet at http://media.enet.cu/radioreloj.) 

The recording, in Spanish, is a typical Radio Reloj broadcast with two announcers alternately reading news bulletins accompanied by time signals. The announcers identify the station and verbally give the local time each minute. In addition to the verbal station identification, each minute either the letters RR in morse code (using 1800 Hz tones) are transmitted or five-note chimes (D4, G4, B4, D5, B4) are played. The chimes sound like those of a dinner chime or even some door bells and are reminiscent of the U.S. National Broadcasting Company (NBC) chimes. On a couple of occasions in this recording, during a particular minute, neither the morse code nor the chimes are used and sometimes, during a particular minute, both are used. In this recording, we can also hear at some minutes pairs of tones being played going up and down the scale as news headlines are read. On other occasions, three- and four-note chimes in various sequences have been heard (perhaps at the announcers' whim).

Different tones identify each second, minute, and five-minute epochs. Based on measurements, each second is marked with a "seconds tick" consisting 10 cycles of a 1000 Hz tone (0.01 seconds duration). Minutes, except for multiples of 5 minutes, are marked by 172 cycles of a 1000 Hz tone (0.172 seconds duration). Every 5 minutes, the marker is extended to 672 cycles of a 1000 Hz tone (0.672 seconds duration). The minute and 5-minute markers are preceded by 5 cycles of a 1000 Hz tone, followed by 0.013 seconds of silence.

The time signals in this particular broadcast were well within one second of the time given by a computer's clock synchronized to the U.S. time standard using Network Time Protocol. 

The broadcast was received on a Tecsun PL-880 receiver with its built-in loop antenna in Key West, Florida, using an RF bandwidth of 5 kHz. The receiver was oriented for maximum signal strength. Signal quality is generally good. However, there are repeated static crashes (QRN) from thunderstorms in the region.

Richard also notes that he was located in Key West, Florida, using  a "Tecsun PL-880 receiver with built-in loop antenna using an RF bandwidth of 5 kHz. The receiver was oriented for maximum signal strength." 

Radio Progreso: August 31, 2015

(Image Source: konstriktio)

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Richard Langley, who notes:

Live recording of Radio Progreso, Havana, Cuba, on 31 August 2015 beginning at about 01:10 UTC on a frequency of 4765 kHz. The signal originates from a 50 kW transmitter at Bauta, near Havana, with a non-directional antenna. 

The recording, in Spanish, begins with the program "Nocturno / Domingo de Selecciones de la Actualidad," a program of current music. At 13m:05s in the recording, there is a brief station identification ("RP") followed by a short news report and announcements of current cultural events in Havana. There is a full musical station identification at 18m:55s ("Radio Progreso, cadena nacional, la onda de la alegría, transmitiendo desde La Habana, Cuba, primera territorio libre en America"). At 19m:45s, the program "Ritmos Dominical" begins, an eclectic music program featuring selections by, among others, Nirvana and Ace of Base as well as traditional Cuban rhythms. The recording ends with the program still in progress.

The broadcast was received on a Tecsun PL-880 receiver with its built-in telescopic whip antenna in Key West, Florida, using an RF bandwidth of 5 kHz. Signal quality is generally good. Occasionally, there is slight interference from what is believed to be a radar signal.

Radio Rebelde: June 21, 2014

Many thanks to SWAA contributor, Greg Shoom, for this recording of Radio Rebelde (Cuba).

Greg recorded this broadcast in Harrowsmith, Ontario, Canada on June 21, 2014, tuned to 5,025 kHz at 03:38 UTC. Greg used a Kaito KA1103 receiver with built-in telescopic antenna.

Click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below. Please subscribe to our podcast to receive future recordings automatically.

Radio Progreso: February 28, 2014

For your listening pleasure: one hour, twenty eight minutes of Radio Progreso (Cuba), recorded on February 28, 2014 starting around 2:15 UTC on 4,765 kHz. Though I’m not certain, I’m pretty sure this includes a radio soap opera.

Click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below:

Radio Progreso: October 31, 2013

Havana, Cuba  (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

For your listening pleasure: a recording of the Cuban station, Radio Progreso.

Recorded October 31, 2013, on 4,765 kHz, starting around 02:20 UTC. 

Click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below:

Radio Progreso

Earlier this week, I noted that Cuban medium wave station, Radio Progreso, was to begin broadcasting on 4,765 kHz shortwave, beginning October 1st at 00:30 UTC.

I listened between 00:30 and 2:30 UTC on Oct 1st, but heard nothing other than the weak carrier from (possibly) Radio Emissora De Educao Rural. However, the following evening at 01:00 UTC (October 2nd) I did hear a strong signal from Radio Progreso.

For your listening pleasure: the recording I made of Radio Progreso on October 2, 2013, starting around 01:00 UTC. Click here to download the recording as an MP3 or simply listen via the embedded player below: