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"Wavescan" is a weekly program for long distance radio hobbyists produced by Dr. Adrian M. Peterson, Coordinator of International Relations for Adventist World Radio. AWR carries the program over many of its stations (including shortwave). Adrian Peterson is a highly regarded DXer and radio historian, and often includes features on radio history in his program. We are reproducing those features below, with Dr. Peterson's permission and assistance.

Wavescan N563, December 8, 2019

CBS on Shortwave in California: The Voice of America, Delano - 2

In our program last month, we presented Part 1 in the story of the Voice of America relay station located near Delano in California, covering the inaugural years from 1944 to 1950. On December 31, 1950, this CBS-VOA relay station was on the air with the following complement of shortwave transmitters:

• 3 RCA @ 50 kW, 2 as KCBA & KCBF, 1 as driver for 200 kW Federal
• 2 Continental @ 50 kW, ISB feeder service to VOA stations in Asia
• 2 GE @ 100 kW, broadcast service, on the air under the generic callsign KCBA
• 1 Federal @ 200 kW, broadcast service as KCBR

Beginning on January 1, 1951, there was a rationalizing of the callsigns at CBS-VOA Delano, and all transmitters were identified on air under the one general callsign KCBR, though a suffix number identified each specific transmitter. The list of shortwave transmitters, together with their old and new callsigns, was as follows:

Six years later (1957), there was another adjustment to the list of callsigns at CBS-VOA Delano, and each transmitter was identified under the one callsign, KCBR, though now with no suffix number. Give another six years (October 1, 1963), and the Federal Government in the United States assumed control of the Delano shortwave station, thus ending the 20 year involvement of CBS with this important VOA relay station.

One month later (November 1, 1963), the usage of all callsigns was dropped and the station was identified on air as the Voice of America Delano. However, each shortwave transmitter at the Delano relay station was identified for internal VOA purposes in a list of abbreviations with the two letters DL, followed by a number indicating each specific transmitter.

Under the new government ownership of the Delano station, the first major modernization project was implemented beginning in June 1965. An additional new transmitter building was constructed, and a total of 5 new Collins transmitters were installed; 3 @ 250 kW for direct broadcast usage, and 2 @ 50 kW ISB independent sideband transmitters as program feeders to VOA transmitters in Asia. These Collins transmitters were solidly made and performed very reliably, but they required a heavy usage of electricity.

Twenty years later (1985), a second major modernization project was implemented and all of the RCA and Federal transmitters were removed and scrapped: 3 @ 50 kW and 1 @ 200 kW. However, before the huge 200 kW Federal transmitter was removed, they tuned it to a night time amateur channel during the day, and then sent out a very brief CQ call. They were amazed at the huge number of responses they received from Japan.

Under this second modernization project, four new BBC (Brown Boveri) transmitters Model No SK53C3 were installed, each rated at 250 kW. However at this stage, the end for VOA Delano was nearing.

As an economy measure, the station was placed under caretaker status towards the end of the year 1989; and during the following year (1990), the two 45 year old 100 kW General Electric transmitters were removed and sold for scrap. However, the station was still on the air as needed, sometimes for direct broadcast and sometimes as fill in for other VOA relay stations.

There was some sort of a revival for VOA Delano in the very early years of this new century. In addition to VOA programming in Spanish and English, the station was also in use at this stage for the broadcast of reciprocal programming on behalf of other international broadcasters, such as the BBC London, ERT Greece, Radio Thailand International and United Nations Radio, as well as the American Radio Marti and Armed Forces Radio Service.

However, give three more years and it was all over. At 8:30 pm California time on the evening of Saturday, October 27, 2007, the final broadcast ended. It was a program in the Thai language beamed to Thailand on 5890 kHz. At that stage, VOA Delano was on the air with 23 antenna systems, and 9 shortwave transmitters (2 @ 50 kW and 7 @ 250 kW) in two transmitter buildings.

During the following year, 2008, there was a hopeful suggestion that VOA Delano might be taken into mothball status; and during the following year again, there was a suggestion that three of the BBC 250 kW transmitters would be removed and re-installed at a VOA relay station in the Philippines.

You will hear the rest of the story, as Paul Harvey would say, next time.