Radio Capital de l'Empordà Honors Radio Liberty

On March 26, Radio Capital de l'Empordà, a small non-profit station based in 
Pals, Spain, aired a special program, “Govorit Radio Svoboda” (“Radio Liberty 
Speaks”) and organized a photo exhibition to pay tribute to Radio Liberty, 
which was demolished on the same day 10 years earlier.

Radio Liberty was launched in 1955 in Platja de Pals, near Costa Brava in 
Girona, Spain, with the mission of “delivering a message of hope to communist 
nations.” 

According to Miquel Curanta, general manager of Radio Capital de l'Empordà, one 
of the principle reasons Radio Liberty was established in Platja de Pals was 
because of the location’s latitude and longitude (41º 59’ North and 3º 12’ 
East). 

“The station’s 540-foot towers and antenna curtains situated at the edge of the 
sea provided an ideal launching site for shortwave signals,” he said. “The open 
area and the water meant the signals only bounced off the ionosphere once 
before reaching the former USSR and other Iron Curtain countries with 
practically no attenuation.” 

Curanta explains that Radio Liberty created many local jobs and meant a lot to 
the people of the small town of Pals. It also proved to be a source of intrigue 
since what Radio Liberty did was “almost a secret,” thus creating curiosity 
among residents, who, not knowing exactly what Radio Liberty was, “thought that 
missiles or nuclear submarines were hidden there.” 

Radio Liberty was closed when the Spanish government destroyed the antennas. 
Looting of the electronic equipment followed. Since then the area of Pals 
beach, which is now a protected nature reserve, has been vandalized and only an 
empty structure that housed Radio Liberty remains. 

Radio Capital de l'Empordà wanted to commemorate this chapter in history by 
educating younger generations on the Cold War and the role that the Pals 
transmitter played in it. - See more at: 
http://www.radioworld.com/article/radio-capital-de-lempord-honors-radio-liberty/278677#sthash.tMVn7H0f.dpuf
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