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Radio Santa Fe

HJCG & HJAE

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The following item is taken from pages 180-181 of LA-DXing, 4th Edition (1987), as published by Radio Nuevo Mundo. It was written by Takayuki Inoue Nozaki and is placed here with permission.

Radio Santa Fe was one of the Lati American radio stations more heard in 60mb. When they were active on 4965kHz, they were heard in Japan at 0700-1200 GMT with midnight program of tropical music like Cumbia, Merengue, Vallenato, but it had not been reported at all for these three years. As of April 1987, they continue to be silent on SW outlet due to technical problem.

On July 18, 1985, I visited Radio Santa Fe located at Calle 57 in Bogota. Station building was a 3 storied house of European style, made of red bricks. Station office and studios were once at downtown Bogota, but moved to this high class residential area. Todelar Bogota is located very near to Radio Santa Fe.

Sr. Alvaro Rico Guzman, in charge of recording, showed me around the station. First floor is occupied by discoteca, news room, recording room (with "Sparta" A-20B console mixer, "Ampex" open tape deck, 2 "Gates" disk players), broadcasting studio (with "Sparta" A-20B console mixer (12ch), 2 "Contel" cartridge tape decks, 2 "Russco" disk players, "Ampex" ATR-700 open tape deck).

Administration offices at the second floor. "Moseley Associates Inc." STL transmitter (UHF circuit) which connects studio and transmitter site (located 20km south-east) is stalled at an attic.

History of the Station

Radio Santa Fe was founded by Ing. Jorge Alernando Bernal Andnade on April 11, 1936. Station name was taken after the city being called "Santa Fe de Bogota". At first, they operated only on MW outlet, with a home brew 100W transmitter (made by the founder). Around 1970 they began to go on the air 24 hours a day. Currently Radio Santa Fe is broadcasting mainly tropical music such as Vallenato or Cumbia. As for news program, they had a news program "Radio Revista Pereque" (Monday to Friday 1200-1230) until 1984, but now only broadcast 30 second news "Micro Noticia" on the hour. SW transmission had been ceased because the transmitter went out of order. They have not yet repaired it and have no plan to resume SW operation in this case they will have to obtain a new SW transmitter (because the present one is too old) at the moment because SW has little commercial value for them.

Technical Information

HJAE-4965klHz: 5kW transmitter (made by Ing. Jorge Hernando Bernal Andnade) 1/4 wave dipole antenna.

HJCG-lO7OkHz: "Gates" transmitter (15kW) 2 units, making an output power of 3OkW in the daytime (15kW at night)+ "Harris" vertical antenna (72m high, 1/4 wave).

Station Personnel as of July 1985

  • Presidente: Maria Luisa Viuda de Bernal
  • Gerente: Maria Luisa Bernal
  • Sub Gerente: Blanca Bernal
  • Administrador: Humberto Arango
  • Director de Programa: Jose Paipilla
  • Correspondencia/Secretaria: Nancy Dusan
  • Locutores: Florentino Meza, Jorge Herrera, Ricardo Sandoval, Jorge Sandoval, Miguel Angel Canti
QSL Information: They are pleased to verify all correct reception reports with QSL letter, pennant, and sticker. No return postage is required. QTH: Calle 57 No. 17-48, Bogota D.E., Departamento de Cundinamarca, Colombia.

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Association of North American Radio Clubs
DXer of the Year for 1995
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