The hazy fate of radio broadcasting in Russia

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

In this article, we will talk a little about the history of radio broadcasting and why it de facto no longer exists.

First, a little history:

The first radio station in the USSR was erected in 1922 in Moscow, near the Temple of the Ascension on Gorokhovoe Pole on Voznesenskaya Street (now Radio Street).

She broadcast at a wavelength of 3200 m (approximately at a frequency of 93, 75 kHz). It was equipped with a 12 kW tube transmitter, created in the Nizhny Novgorod radio laboratory under the leadership of Mikhail Bonch-Bruevich, who made a significant contribution to the development of Soviet radio physics, the development of new types of radio tubes, radio broadcasting and radio communication equipment.

Soviet radio pioneer Mikhail Bonch-Bruevich.

The second radio station was built in 1927 on Shabolovka. The transmitter was installed on the Shukhov tower (the one on the Blue Light splash screen). And the third was built in 1933 in Elektrostal (although after the start of the war it was evacuated to Ufa as soon as possible).

Shukhov tower at night. Snapshot from the resource fishki.net

The radio towers were placed at the highest point of the city, from where it broadcast throughout Europe.

Panorama of the Ufa radio station. Around 2005.

And no, this is not fiction. These tall buildings were intended to broadcast anti-fascist propaganda.

The radio station was located in the building of the Forestry College. The name of the street is Lesotekhnikum and the building itself on Radiovyshki street, building 1 is still preserved.

The radio towers themselves were demolished in 2007. Despite the fact that the equipment, although outdated, was in good condition.

Most likely, we will not know the real reason for the demolition.

Now in their place is a shopping center and a residential complex.

And this was the first bell of the impending death of radio in Russia.

In 2012, the Russian Prime Minister signed a decree to end funding for long and medium wave radio broadcasting.

In 2014, the medium and long wavelengths in Russia were completely silenced.

Mayak and Radio of Russia left the air and now broadcast in FM-band and by "wire" (through the radio points that you have in your kitchen).

The reasons for the closure were the allegedly severe obsolescence of equipment, difficulty in maintenance, high power consumption (the aforementioned Ufa radio tower consumed as much as 500 watts!)

But in other countries (for example, in China) broadcasting has not been abandoned. By the way, the Asians immediately occupied the Russian free frequencies and calmly broadcast in Russian.

What are the advantages of the LW and MW bands?

The famous Vega radio receiver produced by the Berdsk plant (de facto deceased in 1999).

They are capable of traveling over great distances. And in such a huge country as Russia, due to climatic features and relief, it will not be possible to cover the entire territory with the Internet and high-quality FM broadcasting for a very long time.

Long waves can penetrate a distance of up to two thousand kilometers. Average waves from six hundred to seven hundred. Sometimes, up to a thousand.

The FM band (or rather, the frequency-modulated ultra-short wavelength range) is capable of broadcasting only on the scale of one city or within its limits (this explains the impossibility of catching anything on many federal highways to any car receiver).

For the same reason, the same station in different cities broadcasts on different frequencies.

LW and MW waves, due to their high range, will allow any radio amateur to assemble a receiver practically from rubbish and not be torn off from civilization.

As I said, the ubiquitous Asians took over the air. Also, you can hear Iranian radio and many other radio stations that broadcast in Russian (no, this is not a typo!) Language. However, being on the territory of Russia, there are no longer their own radio stations.

Instead of conservation, antenna fields were blown up and the equipment was sold out and / or plundered.

The introduction of digital radio in the country is still a controversial issue. In Norway, for example, analog broadcasting has already been phased out and switched to digital broadcasting. Just compare Norway and Russia. The difference in size between the two countries is colossal.

What else can I say. A gloomy future like the films "Blade Runner" and "The Matrix" somehow imperceptibly but has already come.

You can talk for a long time about the true reasons for the death of radio broadcasting, but I would not want to slip into politics.

Draw your own conclusions.

The article turned out to be kind of sad.