Radio Andorra

Leave a comment

March 5, 2022 by chrissynumero19

A presentation for the 2022 SWL Winter Fest, by Christian Ghibaudo.

Above: Christian gives a weather forecast at Radio i Televisio d’Andorra, during the EDXC 2019 Conference

Radio Andorra was born in 1939 and had to close quickly in April 1981. Since then, no program had been broadcast. Radio Andorra was very popular on medium wave and also short wave. There is always a lot of nostalgia for this radio which has so well represented the Principality nestled between France and Spain.

In 2019, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the birth of Radio Andorra, there was renewed interest in the station. Visits and exhibitions took place in Andorra. We even did the EDXC annual meeting in Andorra!

Christian Milling a German director discovers the station and finds great interest. So in August 2019, he presented a program “Tribute to Radio Andorra” on Wavescan. With many sounds of the time and interviews from Andorra. This is how he obtained several contacts in connection with Radio Andorra. The list of the last Hit Parade which could not be broadcast in 1981 has been found. Also Christian Milling had the idea to redo this show, by broadcasting the songs of the time. Christian Milling contacted me to find out if I knew any former presenters of the time. So I suggested that he contact Max La Fontaine, who has been a presenter at Radio Andorra, Radio Monte Carlo and others… This is how on April 12, 2021, 40 years later, the Hit-Parade de Radio Andorra of April 12, 1981, which could never be broadcast due to the closure of the station by the Andorran authorities, will be broadcast on Short Wave. It was the start of a great adventure!

Following the success of this first show, Christian Milling quickly wanted to make other shows. This took place on Saturday August 7, 2021, a show with Sacha Distel (famous crooner from the 50s to 80s).

Then there was the “carte blanche” show with Daniel Balavoine (famous French singer of the 80’s). Christian Milling wanted to broadcast from the very powerful medium wave frequency of the old Radio Monte Carlo station, on 1467 kHz. As I live near Monaco, I contacted the broadcaster to rent the frequency. We quickly got the answer, the rental price being very high, Christian Milling decided to launch a Crowfunding on the Internet. With the money raised, the program could therefore be broadcast on medium wave from Roumoules, but also on short wave from Austria, Armenia and Florida!  It was on February 5th 2022.

And it was a huge success, with  reports from the 5 continents. There was even a reception report from Antarctica.

As there is growing interest in old Radio Andorra broadcasts, Christian Milling continues to restore and save recordings found at the transmitter center in Encamp. The studios in the center of Andorra la Vella were unfortunately destroyed by fire in 1991.

So other Radio Andorra Revival shows will be broadcast in the coming months. This is how on Saturday March 5, 2022, at 1700 UTC, there is a program dedicated to Philippe Clay, a very famous French singer from the 50s to the 80s!

Advertisement