RAAF Radio Butteworth MW 1445kHz, a radio station that Malaysians forget the most.

In Malaysia, everyone knows Hitz, Mix, Lite (Light & Easy), Traxx FM (RTM Radio 4), BFM 89.9, Fly FM and defunct radio stations such as Rediffusion, Red FM, Capital FM, Wow FM & Time Highway Radio (THR FM), but there was a radio station that Malaysians forget the most, it was RAAF Penang Butterworth.

RAAF Radio Butterworth was not well-known by many Malaysians because the radio station only broadcasted in Penang through mediumwave (MW) frequency, transmitted from RAAF Butterworth, Penang. This radio station carried Australia radio stations programs from ABC & Radio Australia, its target audiences were RAAF members, Australian soldiers in Malaysia as well as Penang listeners.

RAAF Radio Butterworth broadcasted on MW 1445kHz at 1kW power, from 1960 to late 1980s. This radio station was well-known among English speaking listeners in Penang actually, apart of RTM Blue Network (Traxx FM) and pay cable radio Rediffusion. 

In my opinion, RAAF Radio Butterworth transmission power at 1kW was actually low, meanwhile RTM MW radio stations operate at standard power 10kW or 20kW. What I look at RAAF is MW frequency in 1960s was not standardized as today where MW band is 9kHz per channel for rest of world, then 10kHz per channel for North America region. If RAAF Radio Butterworth is still alive today, frequency is no longer 1445kHz, it may change to standardized frequency such as 1449kHz or 1458kHz which is 9kHz separation per channel.

Here I will share with you some audio clips of RAAF Radio Butterworth from RAAF School Penang YouTube channel which recorded in the 1970s and 1980s. Hope you will enjoy and this will cruise down the memory lane.

 

Apart from relaying selecting programs from ABC and Radio Australia, RAAF Radio Butterworth relayed RTM programs sometimes.