List of Radio Stations in Greece - Medium Wave (AM Band)

Medium Wave (AM Band)

On the AM band there are few licenced stations left - all state run, but unlicenced broadcasting is tolerated as the majority of the listeners have abandoned the MW band. A number of unlicenced radio stations have taken advantage of that, thus avoiding the "crowded" FM band. Also a number of pirate radio enthusiasts use the expanded upper part of the AM band (1600–1710 kHz) for "experimental" transmissions. In the "old" days of MW pirate radio broadcasting - there was a format division between the AM and FM, in Athens and Thessaloniki. On the MW/AM band most radio pirates in Athens were broadcasting foreign music (pop, rock) whereas in FM most radio pirates broadcasted Greek popular music. In Thessaloniki, and most of the rest of Greece, it was the opposite: on MW/AM pirates were playing Greek popular music, and in FM foreign pop & rock. Nowadays, with one or two exceptions, nearly all MW/AM radio pirates play Greek popular music to a very limited but dedicated audience.

In Athens

All the state-run radio stations still broadcast their programmes on the MW band, except the ERA 3 (Third Programme) which gave its frequency (666 kHz) to an AM only station ERA Filia (Friendship). ERA 1 on 729 kHz - News, talk, light music. ERA 2 on 1386 kHz - Entertainment, young culture, pop, rock. ERA Sport on 981 kHz - Sports. ERA Filia on 666 kHz - but listed on 665 kHz. A radio station geared toward the immigrant communities in Greece. The programme is shared with another state station KOSMOS (cultural, ethnic music). Since unlicenced broadcasting on the AM in Greece is illegal but tolerated, some pirate radio stations broadcast full fledged radio programmes, some with commercials, some experimental. A notable example is on 1098 kHz, broadcasting experimentally in C-QUAM, AM Stereo, one of the few AM Stereo radio stations in Europe. Other unlicenced radio stations on the MW are found on 909 kHz, 1017 kHz, 1035 kHz, 1188 kHz and others. On the AM expanded band (1600–1710) numerous radio pirates transmit experimentally without regular schedule, or programme, mostly Greek popular music along with Q code QSO.

In Thessaloniki

The two official state-run radio programmes still broadcast their programmes on the MW: The 1st programme of the Radio Station of Macedonia on 1044 kHz and the 2nd programme on 1179 kHz (simulcasting along with their FM services). The most notable unlicenced radio station in Thessaloniki is the - http://www.1431am.org/ a "free radio" station broadcasting regularly from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki campus in the centre of the city. Other pirate radio stations in the Thessloniki area are using the 1566 kHz and the AM expanded band (1600–1710). There numerous radio pirates transmit experimentally without regular schedule, or programme, mostly Greek popular music along with Q code QSO.

The rest of Greece

State-run ERA radio stations broadcast the ERA International Network programme to the Mediterranean and south-east Europe on 765 - 927 - 1008 - 1404 - 1494–1512 kHz in Greek. These are transmitter that broadcast regional programmes as well in Crete (1512 kHz), Rhodes (1494 kHz, Zante 927 kHz, Ioannina 765 kHz, Corfu 1008 kHz and Komotini (Thrace) 1404 kHz). Some others regional radio stations still broadcast in AM their programme (ERA National network): Kavala & Kozani 1602 kHz, Volos 1485 kHz, Pyrgos 1305 kHz, Florina 1278 kHz, Orestias 1080 kHz, Iraklion Crete 954 kHz. Two high powered transmitters (500 kW) from Rhodes (1260 kHz) and the region of Macedonia (792 kHz) broadcast a selection from ERA 1, ERA 2 and ERA Sports programmes to the Greek diaspora. Numerous pirate radio stations, many of them high powered, broadcast irregularly throughout Greece. Most from the central-northern part of the country (Thessaly, West and Central Macedonia) but there are AM radio pirates in Thrace, Crete, Cyclades and Peloponnese as well. Most common frequencies used are: 1629, 1620, 1606, 1602, 1575, 1566, 1539,1521, 1503, 1479, 1368, 1359, 1347, 1233, 1206. They usually play Greek folk and popular music. On the AM expanded band (1600–1710) numerous radio pirates transmit experimentally without regular schedule, or programme, mostly Greek popular music along with Q code QSO.