[HCDX] Re: Hard-Core-DX Digest, Vol 6, Issue 23

["Johan Berglund" <johandx@xxxxxxxxx>]

Bogdan wrote :

> Hello all !
> 
> I wonder why European MW radio stations use powers of several hundreds and sometimes thousands of kWs ? Is it because in Europe, there are much more concrete buildings than in North America, where there is much more absorption of radio waves and the skywave signals of international MW stations like TWR-1467 need to scatter through a window to be audible in a concrete building since the ceilings are in concrete in the direction of the ionosphere ?
> 
> Or is it more because of some organisations less strict than the FCC (or the CRTC) wich don't allow a power limit (like here in North America where 50 kW is the power limit on MW) ?
> 
> Enquiring/curious minds wants to know !
> 
> 73 and good DX,
> Bogdan


Hi, I think this is a good question and I think that I have at least some part of the answer.

When radio came around in the twenties Europe was - and is still  despite  the efforts for a European Union -
a continent which is split into some fourty countries. Countries, not radio stations overseen by e.g. the FCC, divided up the MW band in the twenties, and as you know WWII, suceeded by the the Cold War made it impossible to change anything. European countries have more or less kept all old frequncies and their right to broadcast with so and so much ERP. Some use their rights, some don't.  Sweden has left MW all together,
except for 1187 which is used for Radio Sweden.  Another point is that most European governments very selflishly monopolized broadcasting and only allowed state-run broadcasting. 

So in a few words : The reasons,  for this being as it is,  are historical.   

73 Johan Berglund, Trollhättan, Sweden
 
PS. Bogdan, forget about concrete buildnings. They have nothing to do with the matter.

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