I went to Greece - north Greece - and scanned the MW.
In the area of Macedonia (Greece) here were unlicensed broadcasts from 1368 Khz to 1710. A couple of them may have been transmitting in AM Stereo.
Only a couple seemed to be broadcasting during daylight but as the sun was going our more than 10 appeared.
I was able to listen to "pirate" radio stations on 1368, 1404, 1431, 1557, 1566, 1602, 1611, 1620, 1629, and in the 1638-1710 Khz area.
- The only steadily broadcasting unlicensed radio station seemed to be a Radio XALASTRA on 1368 Khz playing a distinctly Greek type of music. "Heavy folk" it is called, very much associated with AM/MW Radio "pirates" and the music long-haul lorry drivers are supposed to listen to (according to stereotype) with no adverts and hardly any announcements. This station plays music non stop 24h a day. This type of music they broadcast is a kind of "signature" for Greek AM radio pirates: if you listen to such music on AM it can only be an unlicensed radio station as no state or commercial stations are likely to play it! The sound is very good (for AM standards) and although the signal was definitelly "mono" he may be using an AM Stereo exciter (my AM Stereo radio has no indicator light to help me confirm.)
Although it has no current web page I could find, I am able to listen to it from this link:
https://web.archive.org/web/20180513195 ... aradio.gr/ - it can help the non-Greek listeners to understand the type of music these stations play!
- Then there was on 1431 Khz Radio EKFRASI. Every day, same music as above, from 6pm to 2am, but includes song requests, "dedications" of songs from one listener to the other, as well as CQs at some point of the programme: chatting on air with other AM pirates. The know each other by name and they are mainly exchanging listening reports and comments about each other's signal strength, modulation level, chatting on technical matters, antennas, groundings etc. Several other stations join the chat. Most of them transmit only for the chat's sake. some, like Radio Ekfrasi have a programme as well. The programme lasts until 2am.
Only thing, a pity he uses 1431. It used to be the frequency of a very "alternative" university "collective" community radio station
- 1431AM,
https://www.1431am.org/ - I wasn't able to hear it on AM, apparently they are on air only on the internet.
- Beyond that there were 6-7 other stations broadcasting music or CQ - calling and discussing on air between stations:
The stations on 1557, 1566 (possibly AM Stereo,) 1602, 1611, 1620, 1629 were all playing the type of music I mentioned above. Other stations on practically every channel (above 1629 and up to 1710 Khz) pop up after 6-7 pm and stay on air until about 2am. Most transmit for themselves and the other "pirates" and a few may have some dedicated audience. On could monitor 1638, 1656, 1683, 1692, 1701, 1710 Khz to attempt reception in the UK. Sometimes there is only a CW or a tone for a while and then the music, or the CQ. Identification is difficult and in most cases uncertain as there are very few announcements.
The above is the picture in north Greece, in the south (Athens)
In Athens the scene is somewhat different. There are more unlicensed stations and they are all over the band (from at least 585 Khz) and the format is broader, international/English pop, rock as well as Greek music.
I used the following pocket radios for listening:
- SONY SRF-42 (C-QUAM/AMAX, AM Stereo) analogue - which can go up to 1710Khz and was the most sensitive of the three.
- SONY SRF-34L, less sensitive and covering 531-1602 Khz and
- Roberts Sports 988, the least sensitive of the three, covering from 522-1629 Khz.