WRNO (shortwave)
Encyclopedia
WRNO is a commercial shortwave
radio station which began international broadcasting
on 18 February 1982 and continued broadcasting through the early 1990s from Metairie, Louisiana
. These call letters are still in use by the New Orleans station WRNO-FM
; both were founded and originally owned by Joseph Costello III.
format, branded as the "World Rock of New Orleans" and operating from noon to midnight (GMT-6) daily. Originally a separate broadcast from the FM station, eventually WRNO turned to simulcast
ing WRNO-FM, which also had a rock music format. During the early 1990s WRNO turned to leasing airtime to religious and political commentators (for a time, it was the shortwave home of Rush Limbaugh
's program) until a damaged transmitter forced the station off the air for several years.
, with the stated goal of broadcasting to areas where access to Christian materials are limited or restricted, but progress was slowed significantly when the antenna was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina
. In August 2008, several DXers noted WRNO testing with Christian music on 7505 kHz. As of February 2009, the station was still testing on 7505 kHz with a stated schedule of 0100-0400 UTC. The new WRNO Worldwide is also approved for 7355 and 15590 kHz, but have not yet used those frequencies on a regular basis.
As of June 2009, WRNO has apparently resumed broadcasting normally. But on 2010 WRNO appeared on some SWL logs.
Shortwave
Shortwave radio refers to the upper MF and all of the HF portion of the radio spectrum, between 1,800–30,000 kHz. Shortwave radio received its name because the wavelengths in this band are shorter than 200 m which marked the original upper limit of the medium frequency band first used...
radio station which began international broadcasting
International broadcasting
International broadcasting is broadcasting that is deliberately aimed at a foreign, rather than a domestic, audience. It usually is broadcast by means of longwave, mediumwave, or shortwave radio, but in recent years has also used direct satellite broadcasting and the Internet as means of reaching...
on 18 February 1982 and continued broadcasting through the early 1990s from Metairie, Louisiana
Metairie, Louisiana
Metairie is a census-designated place in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States and is a major part of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area. Metairie is the largest community in Jefferson Parish. It is an unincorporated area that would be larger than most of the state's cities if it were...
. These call letters are still in use by the New Orleans station WRNO-FM
WRNO-FM
WRNO-FM is an Interactive Talk formatted radio station serving New Orleans, Louisiana. The Clear Channel Communications station broadcasts at 99.5 MHz with an effective radiated power of 100 kilowatts.-History:...
; both were founded and originally owned by Joseph Costello III.
The 1980s and 1990s
At the time of its approval by the FCC, WRNO Worldwide was the first privately-owned shortwave station that had been licensed in several years. Before Costello's efforts, there were only three non-governmental American shortwave broadcasters on the air; by the end of the decade, that number had increased to sixteen.. During the 1980s, WRNO shortwave had a rock musicRock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
format, branded as the "World Rock of New Orleans" and operating from noon to midnight (GMT-6) daily. Originally a separate broadcast from the FM station, eventually WRNO turned to simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
ing WRNO-FM, which also had a rock music format. During the early 1990s WRNO turned to leasing airtime to religious and political commentators (for a time, it was the shortwave home of Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
's program) until a damaged transmitter forced the station off the air for several years.
The 2000s and beyond
The station was bought in 2001 by Good News World Outreach, a non-profit religious broadcaster, and Robert MawireRobert Mawire
Dr. Robert Mawire is a Christian minister, governmental leader, and businessman.-External links:*...
, with the stated goal of broadcasting to areas where access to Christian materials are limited or restricted, but progress was slowed significantly when the antenna was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
. In August 2008, several DXers noted WRNO testing with Christian music on 7505 kHz. As of February 2009, the station was still testing on 7505 kHz with a stated schedule of 0100-0400 UTC. The new WRNO Worldwide is also approved for 7355 and 15590 kHz, but have not yet used those frequencies on a regular basis.
As of June 2009, WRNO has apparently resumed broadcasting normally. But on 2010 WRNO appeared on some SWL logs.