Broadcast area | the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia |
---|---|
Frequency | See Frequencies |
Branding | Radio Miami International |
Programming | |
Language(s) | English Spanish Italian French Portuguese Slovak |
Format | Brokered/Variety |
Ownership | |
Owner |
|
History | |
First air date | June 14, 1994 |
Call sign meaning | Radio Miami International |
Links | |
Webcast | TX3 Listen Live TX4 (WRMI Legends) Listen Live |
Website | www |
WRMI (Radio Miami International) is a shortwave radio station broadcasting from Okeechobee, Florida, United States. WRMI is a commercial radio station that sells airtime to businesses and organizations.
WRMI relays several international news stations including Radio Ukraine International, Radio Slovakia International, Radio Tirana, Radio France International, Famagusta Gazette Radio, Radio Prague, the Italian Broadcasting Corporation, NHK World Radio Japan, Radio Taiwan International, and Radiodifusión Argentina al Exterior, all of which, except for the last, would otherwise be difficult to receive in the Western Hemisphere. [1] [2] It also features headline news stories from the Voice of America, several religious programs (particularly those of Brother Stair and Ching Hai), as well as original and syndicated programs. [2] [3] According to its 1996 station record from the Federal Communications Commission, WRMI's broadcast target zones were the Caribbean, Central America and South America. [4] In particular, much of its programming was targeted towards Cuba. With the addition of the former WYFR transmitters, WRMI had 14 transmitters with 23 antennas targeting many zones worldwide in 2016. [5] Its broadcasts are also easily received in the United States and Canada. WRMI airs programs in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, Ukrainian, Russian and Slovak. Since March 2022, WRMI has targeted daily native language programming to Ukraine and Russia regarding the on-going Russian invasion of Ukraine. [6]
In November 2022, WRMI added an evening block of personality oldies programming that had previously been aired on WTWW in Lebanon, Tennessee. The block, branded as "WRMI Legends," was forced off WTWW when that station shut down due to a number of factors earlier that month. [7] WRMI Legends has operated on the 5050 kHz frequency, vacated by WWRB following the January 2022 death of its owner, since February 2023. WRMI Legends, like WTWW before it, largely targets a North American and European audience of DXers and Amateur Radio enthusiasts. The WRMI Legends programming block also carries “Ria’s Ham Shack,” an amateur radio focused talk show hosted by Ria Jairam, N2RJ, Sundays at 8PM Central. Jairam’s show was previously broadcast on Saturdays on WTWW.
In January 2023, WRMI absorbed another block of personality music programming from German/Dutch shortwave broadcaster The Mighty KBC Radio, which was forced to suspend operations due to an energy crisis in Europe. [8]
The station began broadcasting on June 14, 1994, with a 50,000-watt transmitter and two antennas located near Miami, Florida. [4] In December 2013, they purchased the WYFR transmission complex from Family Radio in Okeechobee, Florida. [9] This new facility includes a dozen 100,000-watt transmitters plus two 50,000-watt transmitters and several antennas to cover all parts of the world. [5]
WRMI currently, as of April 2024, broadcasts on the following frequencies in the following directions: [10]
Band | Frequency (MHz) | Azimuth | Intended Audience | Hours (UTC) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
16 m | 17.79 | 160° | Cuba, the Caribbean and Central America | 1500–2100 | Used solely for Radio Africa Network |
19 m | 15.77 | 44° | Europe, the Mediterranean | 24/7 | |
31 m | 9.955 | 160° | Latin America | 2100–0400 1100–1500 | Flagship frequency |
31 m | 9.455 | 285° | Southwestern United States | 24/7 | |
31 m | 9.395 | 355° | Eastern North America, Western Europe | 24/7 | |
41 m | 7.78 | 222° | Central America | 0000–1100 | |
41 m | 7.57 | 315° | North America | 2300–0400 | |
49 m | 5.95 | 355° | North America | 2300–0400 | Talk radio format |
49 m | 5.85 | 315° | Western North America | 2200–1300 | |
49 m | 5.80 | 160° | Caribbean and Central America | 0000–0400 | |
60 m | 5.05 | 160° | North America, Cuba, Caribbean | 0200–0500 | Used exclusively for WRMI Legends oldies programming. |
60 m | 5.01 | 181° | Cuba, the Caribbean and Central America | 0000–0400 1100–1500 |
Shortwave radio is radio transmission using radio frequencies in the shortwave bands (SW). There is no official definition of the band range, but it always includes all of the high frequency band (HF), which extends from 3 to 30 MHz ; above the medium frequency band (MF), to the bottom of the VHF band.
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