1993

Of course FRS’ main activity was broadcasting on shortwave. But FRS also produced a (free) radio magazine to subscribers in various European countries.

FRS goes DX restyled

Edition 121 volume 11 January 1993 saw a completely restyled ‘FRS Goes DX’ in a three column A4 format and improved print quality. From now on 32 to 36 pages were produced comparable with 64 to 72 pages in the old 1992 format! And: more photos in the magazine and a much improved lay-out! Finally ‘FRS Goes DX’ had developed into a good-looking, serious and moreover informative and versatile magazine read by many European radio enthusiasts. Annual subscription fee was DM 35.00 or 35 Dutch guilders. New columns were News from around the World’’ , ‘FRS Satellite Telex’ and ‘Made in Holland’. Also Russian and US Free Radio News were included!  But it was unique for covering the European Free Radio SW scene. That same month, we still talk about January 1993, the first edition of a new publication under the name FRS Newsletter was published focussing on informing the listening audience about FRS-Holland. The publication was sent free of charge to all  listeners responding to an FRS broadcast.

First on air activities 

Programme wise 1993 started on April 18th when broadcast #108 took off, one month too late because of yet another annoying postal delay in March. The 2+ hour 6200 programmes were widely received resulting in a good start of the 14th FRS broadcasting year. Initially we thought we had to deal with apalling propagation but in the end the contrary happened to be much closer to the truth: although there was some long skip, signal was well heard in large areas. May 23rd-a 4th Sunday due to time pressure- FRS carried out a 4 hour broadcast with no less than 400W via a new relay. Plans to use 7425 were cancelled and to avoid clashing with any other station within the overcrowded 48 mb band, 6400 was used with satisfactory results. It was, according to Peter Verbruggen one of the best regular FRS transmissions of the past few years. Salient detail: two weeks before the broadcast, FRS appproached UK based Radio Atlantis asking them to keep 6400 free. Atlantis behaved as gentlemen and positively responded to our appeal.

13 years on air

The May broadcast was followed by a night time broadcast via the same relay, this time with 150W. Date was Sunday July 11^th (00:30- 03:00 CET). Three months later on Sunday October 17^th, FRS’ 13^th birthday was celebrated. Since October 1990, these celebrations were done in October instead of August because October propagation appeared to be much better compared with August. Four hours were planned via two different relays, already used in the past: frequencies were respectively 6285 & 6200 kHz. An hourly loop tape at 09:30, 10:30 and 11:30 on 6275 informed the listening audience about the FRS 13^th anniversary broadcast. As an extra FRS was also (unannounced?) on 11403 kHz, unfortunately without much success due to very long skip. Main ingredients that Sunday: memories, 80s/90s music (from the 1980- 1993 era) programme extracts and a listener’s competition (won by Olaf Schulz from Germany). And not without success looking at the almost 100 reports from a total of 12 European countries which poured in. Results were good (see top right image).

Relay via WGAS

Via Tony Mitchell Peter Verbruggen got in touch with Andy Walker from UK station WGAS. That station offered FRS relay possibilities and the first one should go out Sunday November 21^st 1993. It would be the first November broadcast in 4 years time. The 4 hour schedule was planned on 6275 and programmes had to be recorded in a great haste. Stefan Kramer, Joop ter Zee & Peter Verbruggen (having hardly any time to record an up-to-date DX Show) would be on. Tony Mitchell was absent. Idea was to have the shows aired from 09:00- 13:00 UTC and repeated from 13:00- 17:00 UTC. But at 09:00 UTC nothing was heard on 6275. First thought was that the tapes hadn’t arrived in time. A telephone call was made and Andy Walker’s answer was quite explicit: the secret WGAS transmitting location was betrayed to the UK authorities. All hurry being for nothing! Because the week after WGAS would go on air, it was FRSH’s turn two weeks later on Sunday December 5^th 10:00-14:00 followed by a repeat 14:00-18:00 hours CET. Indeed, FRS was no less than 8 hours on 6280. Signal was affected by utility, the noise level was quite high and the modulation level seemed a bit on the low side. Two weeks later on the 19^th of December the X-Mas Special was planned but a WGAS relay was not possible. Another relay station would be helping out and on Wednesday December 22^nd programmes were taped and the DX Show prepared. A local flood prevented Peter Verbruggen from finishing the job, he had to leave his house for a few days.

“I remember it felt very strange. I was powerless and had to leave my house just before X-Mas. Joop ter Zee couldn’t do his show due to very sad circumstances, there was no English programme and the only complete show I had was Stefan Kramer’s German one! There was no solution and for the first time since 1980, after 13 successive X-Mas parties, FRSH wouldn’t be on the air over the X-Mas season. Quite a colourless but also sad end of 1993. It didn’t feel good.”