Story number 3 for 8 Apr 2002

(Ecuador)–While HCJB World Radio has been on the air for 70 years in Ecuador, the government is forcing the radio ministry to move their transmitting site. Agency President David Johnson says a new airport is forcing their move because their towers will be in the path of the main runway. “We have years and years of investment in a building, a huge complex of shortwave, AM and FM transmitters. So we’re challenged now to move that to a new location. But, the process of moving it we figure is about a $4.5 million project and will take us about four years.” Money is being raised to pay for it. Johnson says if it didn’t cost so much the move wouldn’t be so bad. “We will be upgrading our equipment. We will be preparing ourselves even more for digital shortwave, and we will be able to hit some targets in Latin America, especially Brazil –the Amazon basin – better than we can from our current sight. So, we believe that we’ll actually improve our coverage.”