Radio Reloj
 | |
| Broadcast area | Republic of Cuba - Worldwide |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Havana: 790 AM, 950 AM, 101.5 FM Santa Clara: 570 AM |
| Branding | Radio Reloj |
| Programming | |
| Format | All-News with time checks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Cuban Institute of Information and Social Communication[1] |
| Radio Rebelde Radio Progreso Radio Taíno CMBF Radio Musical Nacional Radio Enciclopedia | |
| History | |
First air date | July 1, 1947 |
| Technical information | |
| Power | 50,000 watts (AM stations) 6,000 watts (FM station) |
| Links | |
| Webcast | radioreloj.cu/multimedia |
| Website | radioreloj.cu |
Radio Reloj (Spanish for Radio Clock) is a government-owned Spanish-language radio station in Cuba. It carries an all-news format and is based in Havana.
The station is noted for the sound of a ticking clock in the background, with its hosts announcing the time, every minute of broadcast. The station dates back from an era when some Cubans were too poor to own a watch or clock. They could get the time from listening to Radio Reloj (pronounced "ray-LOW").
Frequencies
The station is heard on various AM frequencies throughout the country, with the strongest signals on 570, 790 and 950 kHz.[2] At night, using a good radio, the station can be heard around the Caribbean and Southern United States.
The station also broadcasts on several FM frequencies in Cuba, such as 101.5 FM in Havana.
Listenership outside of Cuba
From its inception in 1947 until the Internet era, Radio Reloj was generally available only to listeners in Cuba. However, on occasion at night when radio waves travel farther, Radio Reloj can be heard in nearby countries. It generally has a good signal in some areas of the United States, such as the Florida Keys, Southwest Florida and around the Gulf of Mexico. Even when the announcers may be hard to hear, listeners can identify it from the ticking clock sounds.
A good example of DXing of Radio Reloj was on the morning of 21 January 1999 at 1:20 a.m. (Eastern Time). Radio station WMCA in New York City, assigned to 570 AM, the same as Radio Reloj's Santa Clara signal, went off the air for transmitter maintenance. Once WMCA's carrier signal dropped, Radio Reloj's broadcast could be heard up and down the Eastern Seaboard of the United States including New York City, where WMCA broadcasts originate.[3]
Radio Reloj is available as a free satellite broadcast in Hispasat 30° W. Radio Reloj also broadcasts its programming via an Internet stream from its website.
References
- ^ New Institute of Information and Social Communication replaces ICRT (Retrieved 1 March 2024 from OnCuba News)
- ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1977 page C-256. Retrieved Oct. 7, 2024
- ^ "WMCA signs off for transmitter maintenance, Cuba's Radio Reloj can be heard 01-21-1999 (Clip at bottom of page)". Jim Hawkins' WMCA Transmitter Page. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
