For DXers and shortwave buffs, a fresh signal on the tropical bands always kindles excitement. In 2023, Radio Ifrikiya FM emerged as one such hopeful — an Algerian “voice for Africa” aiming to bridge continents, languages, and cultures. But as 2025 advances, whispers are growing louder that its shortwave (SW) service is being scaled back, or even switched off altogether, ushering in a telling chapter in the slow decline of SW broadcasting.

Let me walk you through how Ifrikiya FM came into being. Also, how we DXers chased its signals, and what its likely demise (or transformation) means for the broader shortwave world.

Birth of a Pan-African Broadcaster

• Launch & Purpose
  Radio Ifrikiya FM (sometimes spelled Ifirkya or Irikiya), whose name echoes “Africa” in French (Afrique). It was officially launched on 3 May 2023, coinciding with World Press Freedom Day. Their aim: to be La Voix Africaine — an Algerian public radio channel devoted to African issues, voices, and cultural exchange.
• Languages & Reach
  From the start, Ifrikiya committed to multilingual programming: Arabic, French, Targui (Tuareg), Hausa, and Bambara. Over time, there was talk of adding more African languages (Peul, Swahili, Wolof) to broaden its reach.
• Transmission Infrastructure
  A key to its SW identity: Algeria’s state broadcaster (Radio Algérienne / ENRS) deployed two 300 kW shortwave transmitters. One each at Ouargla and Béchar, to carry Ifrikiya’s signal across Africa.  According to the “Africa on Shortwave” DX guide (BDXC), those two transmitters were repurposed from earlier use and reactivated for Ifrikiya in mid-2022.

Radio Ifrikiya FM on Shortwave

• Domestic Presence & Streaming
  On the home front, Ifrikiya also operates on FM in Algerian cities (e.g. 105.6 MHz in Algiers) and streams via web / satellite platforms. Its goal: a hybrid model — SW for long-distance, FM & Internet for local audiences.
• Programming Mix
  The station’s content is an eclectic blend: news, interviews, debates, sports, cultural programs, music (Afrobeat, traditional and modern African music), educational segments, and religious or Quranic readings in some windows.

Early published SW schedules show Ifrikiya running multilingual broadcasts during key UTC windows. 07:00–13:00, and 19:00–01:00 on frequencies like 15,140 kHz, 17,600 kHz, 13,640 kHz, and 13,855 kHz (depending on transmitter) with the goal of covering wide parts of Africa.

For a few months, DXers rejoiced in hearing a new African SW signal. I personally tuned into 13,790 kHz and 13,590 kHz during overnight slots, catching Ifrikiya’s signature “jingles” or talk segments in French or Arabic — a thrill for a long-haul listener.

The DXer’s Log: Chasing Radio Ifrikiya FM

From my shack (or via web-SDR catches), I logged the following:

• 13,640 kHz at ~23:30 UTC on multiple nights, often carrying Arabic speech or news content.
• 17,600 kHz during evening windows, sometimes audible in West/Central Africa regions.
• Occasional fades or interference from other broadcasters (especially at dusk or overlapping frequencies).
• Use of directional antennas (e.g. MLA30 + noise blankers) helped bolster reception from Algeria across the mid-latitude bands.
• I also spotted Ifrikiya’s live streams on the net and YouTube clips of its reception.

However, over time, reception reports began thinning. Some DXers speculated that power reductions, off-air periods, or transmitter maintenance had crept in.

The SW Switch-Off Syndrome

If you’re thinking that Ifrikiya FM’s SW service might no longer survive, you’re not alone. Several clues point toward a gradual shutdown or scale-back. Below is a microcosm of what is happening globally to SW broadcasting.

Evidence & Indications

1. Fewer Logs, Fewer Confirmations
   The DX community has grown silent on new Ifrikiya SW sightings lately. Recent shortwave frequency / schedule databases show fewer active listings for Ifrikiya.
2. Technical / Operational Constraints
   Operating 300 kW SW transmitters is costly (fuel, maintenance, staff). Many governments are scaling back or shuttering SW services when audiences increasingly shift to FM, satellite, or Internet.
3. Strategic Priorities & Audience Shifts
   The era of SW dominance is waning. In many target regions, Internet penetration and mobile streaming have reduced dependence on SW. Broadcasters often find it more efficient to invest in digital platforms than vast HF footprints.
4. Official Silence / Lack of Updates
   There has been little recent official publicity about the SW side of Ifrikiya, while FM, streaming, and social media presence continue to get attention.
5. “Switch-Off” Is a Global Trend
   As a fellow radio hobbyist, I see parallels: many national broadcasters around the world are shutting down or scaling back SW services. The cost vs. benefit tradeoff is tipping away from HF.

What This Means

• For DXers: fewer new logs, fewer surprises, and perhaps one more HF signal lost to the archive.
• For listeners in remote or rural parts of Africa: loss of a borderless medium (ideally, SW served listeners beyond national borders, especially where local infrastructure is weak).
• For Ifrikiya FM (and similar broadcasters): the model must lean on FM relay partnerships, streaming, satellite, or alternative dissemination.

For cultural and informational outreach: less reliance on “universal access” medium might limit reach to those without good Internet.

What’s Next for Radio Ifrikiya FM?

While one cannot definitively claim SW service is gone (unless an official statement surfaces), here are plausible scenarios ahead:

• Full SW shutdown — The transmitters are turned off or mothballed, and Ifrikiya becomes FM + online only.
• Intermittent / low-power SW windows — Perhaps limited hours remain when budgets permit, or SW is reserved for specific language windows.
• Hybrid broadcasts / DRM / digital HF — They might adopt DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale) to carry better audio quality on HF with reduced power. Though DRM uptake globally has been slow, it’s a possibility.
• Expansion of local relay networks — Using FM repeater stations across Africa to rebroadcast Ifrikiya content locally.

Stronger digital footprint — Mobile apps, podcasts, satellite distribution, and social media as primary distribution.

Reflections from a DXer’s Heart

As someone who grew up chasing distant signals on longwire antennas and celebrating a new broadcast from halfway across the world, losing SW modes always tugs at me. Ifrikiya FM had the makings of a vibrant new addition to the HF spectrum — a fresh African voice reaching far beyond borders.

But pragmatism creeps in: power costs, audience fragmentation, and digital alternatives make SW harder to justify. Still, I hope Ifrikiya keeps some HF presence, even if in slimmed form, so future DXers can look back and say, “I once logged Ifrikiya on 13,790 kHz in the dead of night, hearing voices from across the Sahara.” If you like, I can check whether Ifrikiya’s SW service is definitively off as of 2025 (by digging recent logs or official documents) and help you annotate your blog post with those updates. Would you like me to do that?