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Radio Cutervo, Peru

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The following item is taken from Relampago DX #120 (August 2000) by Takayuki Inoue Nozaki. It is placed here with permission.

Por las Rutas del Per� (30) ...

RADIO CUTERVO

Announcing as "Radio Cutervo 3390 kilociclos en se�al de prueba, no mueva su dial", the station started its experimental transmissions on shortwave in early August of 1983. The measured frequency was 3389.9 kHz. After having carried out its experimental transmissions on shortwave for a few weeks, the station unexpectedly vanished from the airwaves.

It was in the middle of May, 1984 that Radio Cutervo resumed its shortwave transmissions, moving down slightly to 3389.8 kHz, on which frequency it stabilized for a couple of months. Subsequently, the station drifted up to 3390.7 kHz in September of 1984. While broadcasting in the 90 meter band, it was not an easily-tuned station for overseas DX enthusiasts due to an interference from Radio Camargo, which transmitted on 3390.4 kHz from Camargo, Bolivia.

Radio Cutervo was the third radio station established in Cutervo, however, it was the first commercial broadcasting enterprise in the Province of Cutervo to be officially authorized by the Ministry of Transports and Communications. It was licensed as OAX2R 3390 kHz and OBX2G 950 kHz to operate both on medium wave and shortwave, however at that time, the medium wave outlet did not start its broadcasting life.

After having made its experimental operations near the officially assigned frequency of 3390 kHz, Radio Cutervo made its reappearance in early March of 1986. The station moved up to the frequency range between 6691.1 kHz and 6691.2 kHz, approximately 3000 kHz higher than the previous frequency. Regardless of the internationally defined broadcast band, the station found a suitable channel free from interference with the major coverage thanks to the high frequency operation. Eventually, Radio Cutervo became to be widely noticed in different countries of Europe and the United States. Even in Japan, its morning transmissions were regularly monitored with fair signal around 1000-1200 from March of 1986 through late December of 1987. The station signed on around 1000 with the National Anthem, and then an early morning folklore show "Fiesta Andina" at 1000-1100, and a tropical music program "El Super Ma�anero" followed. Announcing "Para el Per� y todo el mundo, transmite la nueva Radio Cutervo, 950 kHz onda media y 6690 kHz desde Cajamarca, Per�, Radio Cutervo, la doble radio uno", the station identified itself as the new Radio Cutervo, claiming to transmit on medium wave and shortwave under the slogan "la doble radio uno" (the doble number one radio).

It was noted in late November of 1988 that Radio Cutervo resumed the transmission after eleven months of silence. The station remained there until early November of 1989. Afterward, it disappeared again from the airwaves. Slightly moving down to 6690.9 kHz, Radio Cutervo went back on the air in the middle of June of 1990. However, three months later, the shortwave outlet was seemingly discontinued, and its was last logged by DX enthusiasts on August 28, 1990.

When I visited Radio Cutervo for the first time on October 12, 1985, the station facilities were installed in the third floor's rented rooms of the Hotel San Juan, located at Jir�n Comercio No. 725 in the corner of the Plaza de Armas. I stayed for the night at the hotel which charged only US$0.58 (10,000 soles), because it was the only accommodation that existed in town. There was a small office and a studio, equipped with a 6 channel console mixer, two turntables, two cassette tape decks, an equalizer, and a microphone. I was pleasantly greeted by Marino Julca Ram�rez, the station owner and general manager. As Don Moore previously made a visit to the station as the first overseas shortwave listener, the station owner was not quite surprised to receive another DX enthusiast coming from Japan.

As described previously in the monitoring record, Radio Cutervo experimentally came onto the air for the first time in August of 1983. However, the first test transmission was made without an official authorization, and it was discontinued under the direction of the Ministry of Transports and Communications. Subsequently on March 20, 1984, Radio Cutervo was authorized to conduct experimental transmissions for a one-year period with the following call letters, frequencies and powers: OBX2G 950 kHz with 1 kW and OAX2R 3390 kHz with 1 kW. "Radio Cutervo Empresa Individual de Responsabilidad Limitada", the third commercial broadcasting enterprise in Cutervo was officially established by Marino Julca Ram�rez on June 30, 1984. Its purpose was to provide people with news, information, entertainment, culture, and education for the regional telecommunication developments. The station first started transmitting on 3390 kHz shortwave with an output of 1 kW, because the shortwave outlet could cover whole the Province of Cutervo, and the northern and eastern regions of Peru. Afterward, the medium wave service on 950 kHz with 1 kW power was added for listeners living in the urban and suburban area. In the beginning, the station broadcast its programming at 1300-0300 daily. As of October 1985 when I visited the station, the transmissions were temporally reduced as 1500-0300 from Monday to Saturday, and 1500-0100 on Sunday. Radio Cutervo was administrated and operated by Marino Julca Ram�rez, the station owner and general manager, with a staff of two operators: Augusto Julca Ram�rez, Carlos Vega; and three announcers: Wilfredo Bautista, Norma L�pez, C�sar Coronado.

On April 9, 1986, Radio Cutervo received the definitive broadcasting licenses for medium wave and shortwave in a ten-year period, under Ministerial Resolution No. 0045-86-TC/TEL. The shortwave outlet has been assigned on 3390 kHz in the 90 meter band since it was authorized to conduct experimental transmissions for a one-year period. However, in order to get major coverage and to avoid interference from other stations, Radio Cutervo desided to broadcast on the nominal frequency of 6690 kHz outside the broadcasting bands assigned to the region by the ITU.

I had a second opportunity to visit the station on December 30, 1994 during my stay in Cutervo. The station facilities were moved from the downtown to suburban area in 1992, and it was now situated in front of the Park "Jos� G�lvez Egusquiza". Unfortunately, I could not meet again the station owner because of his business trip to Lima. However, Emperatriz Arteaga Ram�rez, the owner's wife who worked as the administrator, welcomed my visit, and informed me of some recent information about the station. As of December 1994, Radio Cutervo broadcasts at 1100-0200 from Monday to Saturday, and at 1100-2300 on Sunday, basically providing music programs with message and greeting services with a staff of three people: Marino Julca Ram�rez (owner), Rudecindo Julca Ram�rez (managing director), and Emperatriz Arteaga Ram�rez (administrator). The regular broadcasts are scheduled with the following programs: from Monday to Saturday: 1100-1300 "El Super Ma�anero", 1300- 1700 "Variedades Musicales", 1700-1800 "M�sica Criolla", 1800-1900 "Tardes Estrellas", 1900-2100 "M�sica Ecuatoriana", 2100-2200 "M�sica Mexicana", 2200-2300 "Variedades Musicales", 2400-0200 "Fiesta Andina". On Sunday the schedule is as follows: 1100-1300 "El Super Ma�anero", 1300-2200 "Varieades Musicales", 2200-2300 "Pentagrama Ecuatoriano". The station is still operating on 950 kHz, however the shortwave outlet has not been in operation since around 1991. According to the administrator, the shortwave transmitting unit was robbed by an armed group. With the financial difficulties, the station had no plan to resume the transmission at that moment.

Technical Information

OBX2G 950 kHz: is equipped with a "Marsano" brand transmitter of 1 kW and a 1/4 wave vertical antenna (78 meters high above the ground).
OAX2R 6690 kHz: was equipped with a "Marsano" brand transmitter of 1 kW and a 1/2 wave dipole antenna (11.2 meters high above the ground). The shortwave outlet was officially assigned on the frequency of 3390 kHz.
Transmitter site: is situated at 06-20-30 L.S. and 78-47-56 L.W. and at 1 kilometer north from the studio. The studio and the transmitter site were connected by a fixed telephone cable.
Studio: Parque Jos� G�lvez Egusquiza, Cutervo, Provincia de Cutervo, Departamento de Cajamarca, Rep�blica del Per�.

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