The Mainflingen transmitter on 1539 kHz will be closed down at yearend. Already as of Aug 1st the evening transmission (1930-2300 CET = 1730-2100 UT in summer) will be cancelled and the transmitter be on air only in the morning (0500-1000 CET = 0300-0800 UT in summer) for the last five months.
http://www.erf.de/index.php?node=4355&content_item=1026
... which refers listeners to DAB, although the transmitter network that will be on air from August does not provide full coverage of Germany. The release also flatly mentions "financial reasons" for abandoning mediumwave. It specifies the airtime in the morning as 0600-1000 because the first hour contains programmes in foreign languages which ERF usually not communicates in a context with its German radio service.
Just six years ago the transmission facility had been upgraded with a new NVIS antenna and a pair of Thomson S7HP transmitters, for which ERF at this point mentioned investments of three million Euros. This involved a renewal of the transmission contract with Media Broadcast for another ten years, but apparently an early termination has been agreed now (perhaps a connection to DAB transmission contracts exists, but this is entirely speculation).
Meanwhile ERF appears to be best known for its TV service. A while ago I talked with someone from the TV business, who also works with ERF, about this organization and its origins. He was stunned when I told him about 1539 kHz and the brand-new 700 kW equipment for which millions had been spent. In fact he had never heard about the use of this former Deutschlandfunk frequeny at all, and those people he knows as viewers of the ERF TV programmes in all likelyhood had not either. (Kai Ludwig via dxld ml)
http://www.erf.de/index.php?node=4355&content_item=1026
... which refers listeners to DAB, although the transmitter network that will be on air from August does not provide full coverage of Germany. The release also flatly mentions "financial reasons" for abandoning mediumwave. It specifies the airtime in the morning as 0600-1000 because the first hour contains programmes in foreign languages which ERF usually not communicates in a context with its German radio service.
Just six years ago the transmission facility had been upgraded with a new NVIS antenna and a pair of Thomson S7HP transmitters, for which ERF at this point mentioned investments of three million Euros. This involved a renewal of the transmission contract with Media Broadcast for another ten years, but apparently an early termination has been agreed now (perhaps a connection to DAB transmission contracts exists, but this is entirely speculation).
Meanwhile ERF appears to be best known for its TV service. A while ago I talked with someone from the TV business, who also works with ERF, about this organization and its origins. He was stunned when I told him about 1539 kHz and the brand-new 700 kW equipment for which millions had been spent. In fact he had never heard about the use of this former Deutschlandfunk frequeny at all, and those people he knows as viewers of the ERF TV programmes in all likelyhood had not either. (Kai Ludwig via dxld ml)