Radio Clube de Mocambique

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RADIO CLUBE DE MOCAMBIQUE
This article was originally published in the May 1968 edition of FRENDX, now The Journal of the North American Shortwave Association. It appears here with permission of NASWA.

Radio Clube de Mozambique, the largest privately owned station in the Portuguese East African province was founded in 1931 and started broadcasting in March 1933 with a very modest transmitter. The association which had been formed to run the station had to face a number of problems and with increasing costs and no new capital available it became necessary to close,down for a while in 1934. The following year, however, the association made a tremendous effort and decided to acquire a new 250 watt Collins transmitter.
This stage really marked the beginning of modern broadcasting in Mozambique. English programs were soon added to the original Portuguese and over the years further transmitters were added. It was in 1937 that the name of the station was changed to its present designation.
The Radio Palace, a fine four story building in the very center of Lorenco Marques was built in 1948, followed shortly afterwards by the transmitting center at Matola, just a few miles upstream from the capital. Four years later a series of regional transmitting stations were set up and in 1956, the first 100 kilowatt transmitter was installed.
The Radio Palace stands right next to the Cathedral just off the square commanded by, the city hall. The building itself is typical of Portuguese decorative taste at that time in that the inside is faced with marble of different shades and rich in chrome fittings. Quite apart from the fine technical equipment and the excellent record library, which is reputed to be equal to the best in any modern country, the Radio Palace also has several social functions. There is a special cafeteria on the ground floor where the staff and their friends can obtain meals and refreshments literally around the clock, while-on the top floor there is a suite of reception rooms for dances and other functions.
One interesting feature of all the actual production side is that no technicians are used to control program levels, for the studios are designed so that the announcer himself sits at the control board with pick-ups on either side and volume controls and mixer switches. He is aided by the fact that all the tape reproduction machines are centralized in the main control rooms on another floor, from which he can operate them by remote control.
Now days, the English-service has been turned over to a large South African public relations firm and therefore broadcasts no news or information programs, but only music and advertisments. The firm, in fact, has adopted the motto, "LM for happy listening." This decision to devote the whole service to commercial broadcasting is understandable because Lorenco Marques is only about 40 miles from English speaking South Africa where until not long ago all commercial stations were banned.
The calls used by the station are "Aqui Portugal Mocambique, fala-vos o Radio Clube em Lourenco Marques" for the Portuguese service, and "This is Lorenco Marques Radio for happy listening broadcasting from Portugal Mozambique", in the English service.
The station verifies correct reports with QSL cards and publishes a-bulletin monthly entitled "Radio Mocambique."
The Portuguese service (A) is heard from 0530 to 1830 on 4,925 and 11,820 kcs. The English service (B) broadcasts from 0400 to 2300 over 11,780, 3,335 and 4,833 kc/s. The English service also uses medium wave frequency, 917 kc/s from 1600 to 0600. The Portuguese (C) service is generally heard in the evenings on 15.295 kc/s.
The Nampula satellite, in Portuguese is on 1700-2100 on 3365, 4,955 and 7,195 kc/s. The Quelimane satellite is on 1100-1300 on 3,180, 4,895 and 7,170 kc/s, while the Cabo Delagado relay, also in Portuguese, is on 1700-2000 on 1421 (MW), 5,200 and 7,102 kc/s.
...Radio Portugal DX Club bulletin

This website is maintained by Don Moore,
Association of North American Radio Clubs
DXer of the Year for 1995.
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RADIO CLUBE DE MOCAMBIQUE This article was originally published in the May 1968 edition of FRENDX, now The Journal of the North American Shortwave Association. It appears here with permission of NASWA. Radio Clube de Mozambique, the largest privately owned station in the Portuguese East African province was founded in 1931 and started broadcasting in March 1933 with a very modest transmitter. The association which had been formed to run the station had to face a number of problems and with increasing costs and no new capital available it became necessary to close,down for a while in 1934. The following year, however, the association made a tremendous effort and decided to acquire a new 250 watt Collins transmitter. This stage really marked the beginning of modern broadcasting in Mozambique. English programs were soon added to the original Portuguese and over the years further transmitters were added. It was in 1937 that the name of the station was changed to its present designation. The Radio Palace, a fine four story building in the very center of Lorenco Marques was built in 1948, followed shortly afterwards by the transmitting center at Matola, just a few miles upstream from the capital. Four years later a series of regional transmitting stations were set up and in 1956, the first 100 kilowatt transmitter was installed. The Radio Palace stands right next to the Cathedral just off the square commanded by, the city hall. The building itself is typical of Portuguese decorative taste at that time in that the inside is faced with marble of different shades and rich in chrome fittings. Quite apart from the fine technical equipment and the excellent record library, which is reputed to be equal to the best in any modern country, the Radio Palace also has several social functions. There is a special cafeteria on the ground floor where the staff and their friends can obtain meals and refreshments literally around the clock, while-on the top floor there is a suite of reception rooms for dances and other functions. One interesting feature of all the actual production side is that no technicians are used to control program levels, for the studios are designed so that the announcer himself sits at the control board with pick-ups on either side and volume controls and mixer switches. He is aided by the fact that all the tape reproduction machines are centralized in the main control rooms on another floor, from which he can operate them by remote control. Now days, the English-service has been turned over to a large South African public relations firm and therefore broadcasts no news or information programs, but only music and advertisments. The firm, in fact, has adopted the motto, "LM for happy listening." This decision to devote the whole service to commercial broadcasting is understandable because Lorenco Marques is only about 40 miles from English speaking South Africa where until not long ago all commercial stations were banned. The calls used by the station are "Aqui Portugal Mocambique, fala-vos o Radio Clube em Lourenco Marques" for the Portuguese service, and "This is Lorenco Marques Radio for happy listening broadcasting from Portugal Mozambique", in the English service. The station verifies correct reports with QSL cards and publishes a-bulletin monthly entitled "Radio Mocambique." The Portuguese service (A) is heard from 0530 to 1830 on 4,925 and 11,820 kcs. The English service (B) broadcasts from 0400 to 2300 over 11,780, 3,335 and 4,833 kc/s. The English service also uses medium wave frequency, 917 kc/s from 1600 to 0600. The Portuguese (C) service is generally heard in the evenings on 15.295 kc/s. The Nampula satellite, in Portuguese is on 1700-2100 on 3365, 4,955 and 7,195 kc/s. The Quelimane satellite is on 1100-1300 on 3,180, 4,895 and 7,170 kc/s, while the Cabo Delagado relay, also in Portuguese, is on 1700-2000 on 1421 (MW), 5,200 and 7,102 kc/s. ...Radio Portugal DX Club bulletin This website is maintained by Don Moore, Association of North American Radio Clubs DXer of the Year for 1995.