ROME RADIO / IAR – Special Event Station II0IAR
In December 1952 the General Inspectorate of the Radiotelecommunication Service of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications draws up the project for the construction of the National Radioelectric Center in Rome to replace the Radio Coltano IAC – destroyed by bombs during the Second World War.
The project involves the construction of two sites, one for receiving and one for transmission, placing the latter in the existing EIAR site, now RAI (Italian BC and TV), south of Rome. The receiving site was established in the north-east of the capital, adjacent to a similar center of the Italian Navy. The two sites (receiver and transmitter) were about 30 kilometers apart and were connected by telephone cable.
Trasmitting site
In 1954, with the construction of the building completed and the receiving antennas installed, the first group of personnel arrived. The first radiotelegraphists came from the Navy where, until that moment, it had been ensured communications with ships using the IBZ callsign.
To the new radio station was assigned the international callsign “I A R”. A former Chief of Radio Coltano was entrusted to the general management of the receiving site and personnel.
At the beginning, the frequencies assigned to the new National Radioelectric Center were only three and some services were carried out on a telephone connection via cable with the Radio Station of Cagliari (Sardinia island). Subsequently other frequencies were granted, remembering that Italy was defeated by the Second World War it was therefore necessary to recruit other radio operators also from the other armed forces and the police, but their number was insufficient and was provided by consulting those who during their military service had performed the service in the R.T. Category (Signal Corp) and by a group of self-training employees of post offices. Only in 1962 the first public competition was held and the first radio operators of the Merchant Navy were hired.
Radio Operator Biagio Venanzoni now IK0PRH and I.N.O.R.C. President
Subsequently, the sharp increase in radio “traffic” with the increase of the merchant fleet necessitated other competitions and other rentals.
In the early 90’s, following State enterprises privatizations, Radio Roma was sold, together with the State Company for Telephone Services – A.S.S.T. – to the IRITEL Company and subsequently to Telecom Italia – today TIM – which still manages it. In the meantime, technological evolution has allowed the displacement of maritime communications on satellites, thus decreeing the end of Telegraphy in Morse code.
Roma Radio IAR ceased Morse broadcasts on October 30, 2005.
“The I.N.O.R.C will remember this sad event from next October 24 until November 2nd by activating the special II0IAR call on all HF amateur bands.”
All OMs are invited to participate.
Best regards,
webmaster