V O A Site in Belize, Voz de América Belize
- skylarkcolo
- Nov 18, 2021
- 8 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Voz de América, VOA BLZ (Punta Gorda, Belize )
In the past, I've utilized the former Voice of America (VOA) site in Belize as my antenna farm for V31KW. Being a Broadcast Engineer has its perks, and I've had the opportunity to visit numerous fascinating RF sites over the years. Punta Gorda (PG) is the largest town in the southern part of the country, with a population of approximately 5,000. Located along the Caribbean Sea near the Bay of Honduras, and with the imposing Maya Mountains as a backdrop, Punta Gorda—commonly referred to as "PG"—is a small town in southern Belize.
With the conclusion of the Cold War and the associated proxy conflicts in Central America, the U.S. VOA propaganda broadcasts were no longer a top priority for the VOA. The site was situated on a distinctive saltwater waterfront property, ideal for antennas, encompassing 220 acres of cleared, fully fenced land. It featured several buildings, generators, fuel tanks, and twenty well-anchored broadcast towers, each at least two hundred feet tall.(Rhombics and Distributed-fed Curtain Antennas). Voz de América, In the past I have used the old Voice of America (VOA) site in Belize as my antenna farm. This was my best antenna farm ever!!!! as V31KW
In Punta Gorda, the International Bureau of Broadcasting/Voice of America (IBB/VOA) operated a medium-wave radio relay station which broadcasts to the neighboring countries of Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and others.
The site also had a local MW on1530/1580 BELIZE VOA (50 kW) - this station VOA Punta Gorda (PG) was also closed, 15 September, 2002. The proposal to convert to R.Martí was denied. The IBB relay station near Punta Gorda, Belize, ceased operation on September 15, 2002 at 0500 UTC. It consisted of two 100-kilowatt medium wave transmitters operating on 1530 and 1580 kHz. It was used for Voice of America (VOA) Spanish and English (News Now) to Central America and southern Mexico. There was also a low power FM transmitter at the site, which relayed VOA News
It had been a significant fixture on the southern coast of Belize for almost two decades, the Voice of America (V.O.A.) compound located south of Punta Gorda, which has now been officially handed back to the Government of Belize. The shortwave facility, which began broadcasting its signals in 1984, ceased operations on the notable date of 15 September 2002. This cessation marked a profound shift in the geopolitical landscape; with the end of the Cold War and its related proxy battles in Central America, the U.S. propaganda broadcasts were no longer deemed a high priority. This change in focus was particularly evident as America’s attention gradually shifted toward emerging events in the Middle East, where new conflicts were beginning to take shape and demand resources, both human and financial. The agreement signed today, which formalizes this transition, was executed between Foreign Minister Assad Shoman and U.S. Ambassador Russell Freeman. This agreement effectively terminates the lease on the facility that had been in place for many years, signifying the end of an era for both the V.O.A. and the local community that had grown accustomed to its presence. As part of the withdrawal process, the sophisticated electronic equipment that had been integral to the broadcasting operations was carefully dismantled and shipped out by V.O.A. personnel. In the wake of this departure, the Government of Belize has been left with a substantial piece of property—220 acres of cleared land that is fully fenced and secured. This land contains a number of buildings that were once bustling with activity, as well as several fuel tanks that supported the operation of the facility. Additionally, the compound is marked by twenty well-anchored broadcast towers, each towering at an impressive height of two hundred feet, a testament to the scale and ambition of the broadcasting operations that once took place there. However, the departure of V.O.A. does not come without its consequences. It signifies the loss of around twenty-five jobs, a number of which were held by security personnel who had dedicated years to safeguarding the compound and its operations. The local economy, which had benefited from the presence of these jobs, now faces the challenge of absorbing this sudden loss of employment. Fortunately, some of the workers have found new opportunities at the U.S. Embassy in Belize City, allowing them to continue their careers in a different capacity, albeit in a new environment. This transition reflects both the resilience of the workforce and the ongoing relationship between Belize and the United States, even as the dynamics of their partnership evolve in response to changing global circumstances.
Below the land has now grown back to jungle
This site is now called the Toledo Free Zone
VOA BELIZE QSL CARD
Belize other SW , AM and FM early Stations some operating on the "Tropical Short Wave Band"
According to the rules, there are three distinct ranges: 2300 - 2495, 3200 - 3400, and 4750 - 5060 kilohertz. Long-standing international agreements have set aside these frequencies for broadcasting stations located between the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer. Most, but not all, countries strictly adhere to these guidelines. The most common exception is "out of band" broadcasting where stations use adjacent frequencies allocated to other types of radio services. For example, there are several dozen tropical band stations in the 5200-5700 kHz range. The area also used high power AM broadcast stations.
ZIK 2
Amandala columnist Selvin "Smokey Joe" Wade remembers the station by its original callsign, ZIK 2, with which it signed on in the 1930s. At this stage it played mainly music from abroad. With the rise of the nationalist movement efforts were made to bring the BHBS closer to Belizean identity and it assumed the name Radio Belize.
In the 90s, the Radio Belize and Friends FM studios and offices were located on the first and third floors, with BTL on the second floor, and the studios on the third floor. Carol Ann Moore and Therese Pollard Matus worked there as international telephone operators with Cable & Wireless, known as Operator 105. BTL and C&W shared the same switchboard. Cable & Wireless occupied the ground floor until 1981, while Gustavo Mahler served as Executive Assistant. C&W relocated when they constructed their own building on St. Thomas Street, within the current BTL compound.
In 1984, Radio Belize started shifting towards a culture-focused station instead of just playing music. Now called Belize Radio One, it combined modern music with commentary from local radio personalities such as Debbie Tillett, Mike Nicholson, Rudy Aguilar, Andy Palacio, Paul Mahung, and in the 1990s, Silvana Woods, Clover Broderick, and Brian Mossiah. Despite its transformation and the addition of a television branch, Belize Radio One struggled to compete with the all-music format of KREM Radio, which was established in 1989. The government attempted to privatize the BCB and introduced an all-music station named Friends FM, but with the growing number of radio stations in Belize and advancements in technology, the BCB quickly became outdated.
Radio Belize provided entertainment to Belizeans with a range of music. During that time, television broadcasting was not available in Belize, so people relied on the country's sole radio station for entertainment and news. Popular programs from the BBC lineup included "Portia Faces Life" and Doctor Paul, which were broadcast daily and nightly.
3285 | Belize Radio One | Belize | Belmopan |
Radio Belize was the government monopoly radio station until 1989. During the 1930s on, the station was known as the British Honduras Broadcasting Service (BHBS).
ZIK 2
The history of radio in Belize is characterized by the pioneering contributions of George McKesey, a central figure in the evolution of Belizean radio. His storytelling and use of Kriol in broadcasts played a crucial role in establishing the language and culture of Belize. The first radio station in Belize, ZIK2, was founded in the late 1930s and was situated on Newtown Barracks. This marked a significant milestone in the country's radio broadcasting history.
BELIZE Radio Belize, Belize City (20 kW) - Moved to 830 kHz. Shut down all operations November 30, 1998.
George McKesey represented the essence of Belizean radio during its early broadcasting days. Individuals like him, along with other trailblazers from the colonial British Kriol establishment, who wrote and spoke the Queen’s English with skill and eloquence, laid the foundation for Radio Belize (previously the British Honduras Broadcasting Service – BHBS), transforming it into one of the premier broadcasting networks in the Caribbean.
Radio Belize encompassed everything from entertainment to local and international news from the BBC, American radio soap operas like “Doctor Paul” and “Chee Chi,” and Belizean Kriol folklore.
It is part of folklore that McKesey developed a genre of Belizean theater originating from Radio Belize in the 1960s, which later transitioned to the stage at the Bliss Institute in the 1970s. Written, produced, and directed in typical Belizean Kriol, this linguistics expert seamlessly integrated the Kriol lingua franca into the essence of Belizean life, which is now recognized as genuinely “Belizean”. His broadcasting methods, utilizing the spoken word of the Belizean people, established Kriol as a language rather than merely a dialect.
SEE:
Radio Belize
Ladyville, Belize District: AM 834 kHz (shifted to 830 in the early 1980s), FM 91.1 MHz.
Punta Gorda, Toledo District: FM 88.3 MHz
International: shortwave radio (90 m "tropical band") 3.285 MHz
Friends FM
(all frequencies in MHz)
Belize City, Belize District: 91.3
Independence, Stann Creek District: 94.7
Ladyville, Belize District: 88.9
TO SEE the complete Blog list check @ https://www.k0uo.com/k0uo
73
V31KW/K0UO
General Steve Walz
Good overview of this voa site, there is not much info on VOA Belize relay site anywhere. Finely a few photo, this place is lost in history.