history of longwave radio in Finland
Finland's longwave station was built in 1927 on what is now called 'Radio Hill' in Lahti. Two 150m tall masts were constructed that held a Marconi T antenna. The station was inaugurated on 22nd April 1928 running a Telefunken 25kW transmitter on 197 kHz. The following year the power was raised to 40kW and the station moved to 167 kHz.
The station moved frequency in 1934 to 166 kHz.
In 1935 a new building was built with a new Marconi 150kW transmitter. After the second world war the station changed it's frequency to 160 kHz.
The transmitter was replaced in 1958 & ran 200kW. During it's early years the station had to change frequency several times but settled in on 254 kHz in 1950. In 1978 regulations came about to standardise 9 kHz channel spacing on the longwave band so later as with many other longwave stations YLE moved to it's final home of 252 kHz.
On the 31st of May 1993 YLE ceased broadcasting on 252 kHz longwave and that was the end of longwave radio for Finland. Lahti was not the only long-
wave radio station in Finland's history. By 1939 Kuopio was transmitting on 253 kHz with 1kW and Joensuu on 310 kHz also with 1kW technically by today's designation it was 10 kHz outside the longwave LF band.
As far as longwave broadcasts go it's now left mostly in the hands of private individuals and organisations as the running costs are very high for these powerful transmitters, not considered viable to keep these as FM and internet based radio are considerably cheaper and more cost effective. Even MW AM radio has all but dis-appeared from many countries.
"We hope to increase our reach with a more
powerful transmitter and better antenna."
