been active in pioneering equipment and software for a form of digital radio broadcasting called DRM. End of long-range broadcast After nearly 80 years of shortwave broadcasting from Ecuador, Radio Station HCJB ended its extensive worldwide shortwave transmissions on 30 September 2009. The international transmitter site in Pifo was dismantled to make way for the city of Quito's new airport. According to HCJB Global President Wayne Pederson, the change was made because “the way people consume media has changed, so we have the opportunity to change to delivery systems such as satellite, AM/FM and the Internet. The closing of shortwave in Latin America is strategic because of the planting of local radio stations across the region and around the world. These stations are staffed and programmed by local Christians who can speak to the culture in their own communities.” HCJB Global's focus is now on “radio planting” – assisting local Christian ministries in beginning implementing their own Christian radio ministry. Worldwide, more than 350 local stations have been assisted in this type of endeavor, including nearly 60 stations in Latin America alone. Although the historic station and transmitter sites in Ecuador will no longer operate on the shortwave bands, Shortwave broadcasts continue from HCJB Global Australia's site in Kununurra, Australia and from commercial broadcast sites and partner ministry broadcast sites around the world. HCJB's broadcast from Mt. Pichincha, near Quito, can still be heard on 6 050 kHz with Spanish and indigenous languages of Ecuador. The double dipole (CT2/1/0.3) antenna is designed to cover only Ecuador, but the 5 kW signal is heard worldwide from time to time. After replacement of the 40 year-old 5 kW transmitter with a new 1 kW solid state transmitter in 2017, it became even more of a challenge for DX listeners, but is still heard within Ecuador. See also World Radio Missionary Fellowship, Inc. Mission Aviation Fellowship Shortwave listening References External links HCJB official sites HCJB Spanish site HCJB Brasil Reach Beyond, formerly HCJB Global (www.hcjb.org) Radio Planting Radio stations established in 1931 Radio stations disestablished in 2009 Christian radio stations in Latin America Radio in Ecuador Quito Shortwave radio stations