Broadcasters QSY en masse

March 28, 2009 by Arvadmin

In a truly historic occasion, Sunday 29 March sees international shortwave broadcasters leave the segment 7100 – 7200 kHz as it returns to the Amateur Service as a primary allocation.

A number of broadcasters already confirm their chosen frequencies outside the new primary ham sub-band timed with the northern hemisphere summer programming schedule.

Access to 7.1 to 7.2MHz by all radio amateurs is up to the individual radio administrations with many but not all having already done so.

The restoration of that sub-band to the Amateur Service is the result of a decision made at the World Radiocommunications Conference in 2003.

Broadcasters got access to it in the lead-up to World War II mainly as a propaganda medium.

The WRC-03 decision basically means that those countries who had only allowed their radio amateurs 7.0 – 7.1 MHz can now double the allocation up to 7.2 MHz, while others who had 7.0 – 7.3 MHz continue to do so with the top-third being on a secondary basis.