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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 494, June 20, 2004
10th Anniversary--Radio Miami International WRMI
Radio station WRMI in Florida, Radio Miami International, is a very progressive commercial shortwave station and it is currently celebrating its 10th anniversary. The managing director of station WRMI is Jeff White, who is the past president of NASB, the National Association of Shortwave Broadcasters, and he is the new Chairman of DRM, Digital Radio Mondiale in the United States.
Even though WRMI in Miami is now just 10 years old, yet its earliest origins go back to another location a further eleven years earlier. It was in Chicago in 1983 that Radio Earth was founded for the purpose of producing shortwave programming and making it available for broadcast on available shortwave stations with coverage in North America.
During this initial eleven year period, the programming of Radio Earth and Radio Discovery was heard over several shortwave stations in the United States, such as WRNO in New Orleans, WHRI on the edge of Indianapolis, and KCBI near Dallas in Texas. As the new shortwave service grew, this programmingwas heard also over Radio Clarin in the Dominican Republic and Radio Milano International in Milan Italy.
It was at this stage that Adventist World Radio, AWR-Asia in Poona India, came into the picture. Occasional programming from Radio Earth was included into the old AWR DX program, "Radio Monitors International," and this DX program "RMI," was included regularly into the shortwave scheduling of Radio Earth.
It became time for them to establish their own shortwave station, and so plans were made for the launching of station WRMI in Miami Florida. The first open-carrier test broadcasts from the new WRMI were made from a temporary transmitter, a modified old military unit, on November 11, 1993. Test broadcasts from the 50 kw. Wilkinson transmitter that was imported from the Dominican Republic commenced soon afterwards. When all of the necessary technical adjustments had been completed, including the suppression of an unwanted harmonic, the station implemeted a regular broadcast schedule on June14, 1994, just 10 years ago last Monday.
Station WRMI is currently heard with a regular daily schedule on three different shortwave channels as follows: 9955 kHz, 0900-1200 UTC daily; 15725, 1200-2300 UTC daily, with variations on weekend; and 7385, 2300-0900 UTC daily, with variations on weekend.
Over a period of time, station WRMI has been noted with a program relay from many different organizations, including, for example, Radio 16 Desanm in Haiti, Radio Prague International from the Czech Republic, and Vatican Radio in Europe. In addition, WRMI also carries a downlink relay from the satellite service of the World Radio Network in England, and many stations throughout the world can be heard in this relay, including Radio Japan in Tokyo, China Radio International in Beijing, and Radio Australia in Melbourne.
The lengthy series of digital-analog broadcasts on behalf of the National Association of Shortwave Broadcasters, NASB, is nearing the end of its tenure, though they can still be heard for a few weeks longer on Saturday nights in North America at 0230 UTC on 7385 kHz. The AWR DX program, "Wavescan," with all of its almost 500 editions has also been heard regularly each week from WRMI over the past 10 years.
For a period of a little over two years, much of the programming from station WRMI was also heard on a delayed relay from station HRJA in Tegucigulpa, Honduras. This 1 kw. transmitter was operated by Radio Estereo Amistad, and it was intended to grow into a major relay service for coverage into North America. However, the transmitter was removed from service for modification on October 31, 1995, but this station never did return to the shortwave bands.
Radio Miami International is noted as a very reliable verifier, and many listeners in the Americas, Europe, and the South Pacific own prized QSL-cards from this station. The AWR collection contains more than 50 QSL cards and letters from the shortwave services of Radio Earth, Radio Discovery, station WRMI, Radio Copan, and the NASB.
We here at Adventist World Radio salute Radio Miami International--WRMI
on the occasion of their 10th anniversary; and we also express
gratitude for the fact that WRMI and its additional shortwave
services have carried more than 600 editions of the AWR DX programs,
"Radio Monitors International" and "Wavescan."