June 25, 2007
Listening to Latvian radio
Before the mid-1990s, anyone in the West wanting to hear a radio station from Latvia would have to strain to hear a weak shortwave signal from Radio Rīga or, for those living in Europe, perhaps one of the medium wave stations. In fact, since September 1999, Radio Rīga no longer broadcasts on shortwave. These days, the Internet brings a number of Latvian stations to your computer. Not all the 34 licensed radio broadcasters in Latvia (as of 2006) put their programs on the Internet. Here's our guide to what can be heard. To listen to RealAudio streaming audio, you will need the free RealPlayer software from Real Networks. To listen to Windows Media streaming audio, you will need the free Windows Media Player software from Microsoft. MP3 or SHOUTcast Playlist (PLS) format streams should work in popular MP3 player software such as Nullsoft's WinAMP or Apple's iTunes.
Alise +
www.aliseplus.lv
A local Russian-language station in Daugavpils broadcasting on 101.6 MHz. The station plays mostly Russian pop.
Live Windows Media
Capital FM
www.capitalfm.lv
A Latvian-language station in Rīga broadcasting on 101 MHz. It targets a “young and economically active” audience in the age range of 18-40. The station’s programming includes Friday and Saturday night live broadcasts from the Nautilus nightclub in Rīga.
Live MP3 audio (SHOUTcast)
Europa Plus (Radio Nova)
www.europaplus.lv
Radio Nova plays a mix of American, European and Russian pop. It is heard mainly in Rīga and broadcasts on a frequency of 103.2 MHz.
Live MP3 audio (SHOUTcast) (128 K)
Live MP3 audio (SHOUTcast) (64 K)
European Hit Radio
www.europeanhitradio.com
Once known as Super FM, European Hit Radio plays what its name suggests: popular adult contemporary music. The station broadcasts in Rīga on 104.3 MHz. European Hit Radio also operates in Lithuania.
Live Windows Media
Fit FM
www.fitfm.lv
Fit FM, broadcasting on 99.5 MHz in Rīga, went on the air in 2005 with an unusual concept. It’s radio for active people and, according to its Web site, focuses on healthy and successful lifestyles. The station is on the air 24 hours a day.
Live MP3 audio (SHOUTcast)
Jumor FM
www.goldfm.lv
A Russian-language station in Rīga broadcasting on 88.6 MHz. Run by the same folks who manage Mix FM (see below). The station previously was known as Gold FM.
Live MP3 audio (SHOUTcast)
Kurzemes Radio
www.kurzemesradio.lv
On the air since 1997, Kurzemes Radio claims to be the first regional broadcaster in Latvia. It can be heard throughout most of Kurzeme, as well as in part of Zemgale and near Rīga. Based in Kuldīga, the station broadcasts on 106.4 MHz, but also can be heard in Liepāja on 88.4 MHz, in Ventspils on 107.9 MHz and in Tukums on 91.9 MHz. The station claims to reach about 80,000 listeners. It broadcasts mostly in Latvian with some Russian programming. Kurzemes Radio’s format is Hot Adult Contemporary, playing lots of English-language pop music.
Live Windows Media
Latgales Radio
www.lr.lv
Latgales Radio (or, in Latgallian, Latgolys Radeja) began broadcasting in May 2006 with a mission to serve Latgale province and eastern Latvia in general with programming in Latvian and Latgallian. The station is led by Valdis Labinskis, a former Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty correspondent. The station is based in Rēzekne and broadcasts on a frequency 103 MHz in the Rēzekne area and on 95.2 MHz in the Daugavpils area.
Live MP3 audio (SHOUTcast)
Latvijas Kristīgais radio
www.lkr.lv/radio.htm
Based in Rīga, Latvian Christian Radio broadcasts 24 hours a day on a number of frequencies and covers most of western Latvia. Founded by an association of Latvian Baptist congregations, the station began broadcasts in 1993. Programming includes news and music, Bible readings, call-in
shows and other fare.
Live mono MP3 audio (SHOUTcast)
Live stereo MP3 audio (SHOUTcast)
Latvijas Radio
www.latvijasradio.lv
The state-owned Latvijas Radio (Latvian State Radio) has been on the air since 1925. Although it sometimes struggles with financing, it continues to hold on to a good share of the national radio audience. Latvian State Radio has several services that have both live and recorded audio available for listening over the Internet…
Latvijas Radio 1
The national Latvian-language channel with general interest programming, including news, music, cultural programming, public affairs broadcasts and other material.
Live RealAudio (32 kpbs)
Live RealAudio (64 kpbs)
Live Windows Media (32 kpbs)
Live Windows Media (96 kpbs)
Latvijas Radio 2
A national channel that mostly plays Latvian popular music.
Live RealAudio (32 kpbs)
Live Real Audio (64 kpbs)
Live Windows Media (32 kpbs)
Live Windows Media (96 kpbs)
Latvijas Radio 3 Klasika
A national channel of symphonic and other "serious" music.
Live RealAudio (32 kpbs)
Live Real Audio (64 kpbs)
Live Windows Media (32 kpbs)
Live Windows Media (96 kpbs)
Latvijas Radio 4 Doma laukums
National programming in Russian and several other minority languages, plus programming aimed at younger audiences. The channel also is known as “Doma laukums.”
Live RealAudio (32 kpbs)
Live Real Audio (64 kpbs)
Live Windows Media (32 kpbs)
Live Windows Media (96 kpbs)
Mix FM
www.mixfm.lv
Russian-language station in Rīga playing a mix of European, American and Russian pop.
Live MP3 audio (SHOUTcast)
Progressive FM
www.progressivefm.lv
Progressive FM is a regional station based in Cēsis, broadcasting on 100.9 MHz and serving part of Vidzeme.
Live MP3 audio (SHOUTcast)
Radio 1
www.radio1.lv
Based in Jēkabpils, Radio 1 began broadcasting in 1998 on a frequency of 107.0 MHz. Its format is a mix of Hot Adult Contemporary, European Hit Radio, Contemporary Christian and Dance. Radio 1’s Web site provides both MP3 and Ogg Vorbis streams. Vorbis.com has information on software that will play its format in both Windows and Macintosh computers.
Live MP3 audio (SHOUTcast) (64 K)
Live MP3 audio (SHOUTcast) (96 K)
Live MP3 audio (SHOUTcast) (128 K)
Live Ogg Vorbis audio
Radio 3
www.radio3.lv
A Latvian-language station in Cēsis serving the Vidzeme region. The station plays a mix of mostly English and some Latvian pop and rock.
Live Windows Media
Live MP3 audio (SHOUTcast)
Radio Baltkom
radiobaltkom.lv
Based in Rīga, the Russian-language Radio Baltkom broadcasts on 93.9 MHz. The station, allied with cable television provider Baltkom TV, went on the air in July 2007. Radio Baltkom also carries programming from Moscow-based Eho Moskvi, which has caused some concern among Latvian officials.
Live M3U playlist (WinAMP)
Radio Ef-Ei
www.efeipro.lv
Radio Ef-Ei is a regional station broadcasting from Rēzekne in Latgale province on a frequency of 91.4 MHz.
Live MP3 audio (SHOUTcast)
Radio NABA
www.radionaba.lv
College or student radio often is the place to hear the most interesting and up-and-coming musical artists, before they are “discovered” by commercial stations. Spend a few minutes listening to Radio NABA and you’ll see what we mean. Broadcasting on 96.2 MHz in Rīga and on the Internet,
the station focuses on music from around the world, but includes a taste of alternative Latvian rock as well. The station went on the air Dec. 1, 2002, and is run by students at the University of Latvia. If nothing else, it’s got the coolest name of any station we know in Latvia.
Live Windows Media
Radio Nord
www.radionord.lv
Radio Nord broadcasts on a frequency of 945 kHz from the transmitter at Ulbroka, Latvia. The station ties its legacy to the pirate radio station that in 1960 broadcast to Sweden from a ship anchored in the Baltic Sea. The new Radio Nord went on the air in 2004, playing Western oldies from the 1950s and 1960s. The station also relays other broadcasters.
Live M3U playlist (WinAMP)
Radio PIK
www.pik.lv
A Russian-language station in Rīga, Radio PIK broadcasts to the region on 100 MHz. It is owned by Pikal and Partners. The station plays a mix of Russian and Western European pop, as well as offering news and analytical programs.
Live MP3 audio (SHOUTcast)
Radio Skonto
www.radioskonto.lv
Radio Skonto is a popular and long-lasting station that covers Rīga and its outlying regions. Founded in December 1993 as an alternative music station, it now follows the “adult contemporary” format and broadcasts mostly European, American and Latvian pop music. The change came in 1996 when the British consulting company Radio Development International brought the station together with the U.S.-based Metromedia International Group, which now has controlling interest in the broadcaster. The station broadcasts in the FM spectrum on a frequency of 107.2 MHz. Radio Skonto offers both mono and stereo streams on the Internet, but the stereo stream cannot be heard outside Latvia.
Live mono M3U playlist (WinAMP)
Live mono MP3 audio (SHOUTcast)
Live mono Real Audio
Live mono Windows Media
Live stereo M3U playlist (WinAMP) (Latvia only)
Live stereo MP3 audio (SHOUTcast) (Latvia only)
Live stereo Real Audio (Latvia only)
Live stereo Windows Media (Latvia only)
Radio SWH
www.radioswh.lv
On the air since 1993, Radio SWH is one of the most popular commercial radio stations serving Rīga and the rest of Latvia. Once a wing of Software House Rīga, Radio SWH now is owned by Latvian Independent Television. Several of the country’s best-known musical performers also work here as
disc jockeys. The station offers three services, Radio SWH, Radio SWH+ and Radio SWH Rock. It used to have a classical music channel, Radio Amadeus, but dropped it in 2001 because of low listenership.
Radio SWH
The flagship operation, Radio SWH broadcasts a mix of European and American pop and rock. The signal reaches a good part of Latvia.
Live Windows Media mono and Windows Media stereo
Radio SWH+
The station’s Russian-language service aimed at 18- to 45-year-olds in the Rīga area.
Live Windows Media mono and Windows Media stereo
Radio SWH Rock
The newest member of the Radio SWH family, the station replaced the classical Radio Amadeus. The station brags that it is the loudest in Latvia, playing a mix of classic rock, heavy metal, Nu Metal, blues rock, glam rock, punk rock and other styles.
Live Windows Media mono and Windows Media stereo
Radio Valmiera
radiovalmiera.lv
Broadcasting on a frequency of 102.4 MHz in the Valmiera region, the station is owned by SIA Valmieras TV, which also operates Vidzemes Televīzija. The station plays a mix of European, American and Latvian pop.
Live MP3 audio
Rietumu Radio
www.rietumuradio.lv
Based in Liepāja, Rietumu Radio broadcasts in Latvian to western Latvia on a frequency of 105.8 MHz. Its format features European and American pop and rock.
Live MP3 audio (SHOUTcast)
Star FM
www.starfm.lv
A Latvian-language station based in Rīga but heard all over Latvia on various frequencies. The station plays mostly American and European pop.
Live Windows Media
Top Radio
www.topradio.lv
A Russian-language station in Tīraine near Rīga, Top Radio plays mostly European dance music.
Live MP3 audio (SHOUTcast)
Andris Straumanis is editor of Latvians Online.
The article may be found online at http://latviansonline.com/index.php/media/page3006/
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Latvians Online is a global Internet meeting place for persons of all ages with an interest in Latvians and Latvia. Editor: Andris Straumanis. Contributing editor: Amanda Jātniece. Advertising and marketing manager: Daina Gross. Technical director: Arnis Gross. Disclaimer: The content of Web sites to which Latvians Online provides links does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Latvians Online, its staff or its sponsors.