Netherlands Antilles Post Trans World Radio Bonaire

NETHERLANDS ANTILLES POST  in 1970 released two first day cover stamps of the Trans World Radio Bonaire transmitter/studio site. This stamps affixed to this envelope is one of two known cachets. A postcard of the station with a stamp of the studio was also issued.

Trans World Radio (TWR) was one of the world's early religious broadcasters utilizing shortwave, actually started out as the Voice of Tangier, the location from which it operated from 1954 until 1959, the year private stations in Tangier were required to close down. The following year the station was rebranded Trans World Radio and commenced transmissions from Monaco over a 100 kw. transmitter purchased for Radio Monte Carlo and then leased back to TWR. (The Monaco station increased power to 500 kw. in 1982. TWR now transmits from Monaco only on medium wave). In 1964 TWR opened a 250 kw. shortwave transmitter, and 500 kw. medium wave, on Bonaire, from which it would broadcast on shortwave until 1993 (it is still on medium wave). Another transmitter came into use in Swaziland in 1974, first at 25 kw., later 100 kw., and this was followed in 1977 by a 100 kw. station, KTWR, on Guam, from which TWR had been broadcasting on medium wave for several years. Shortwave was added to medium wave in Sri Lanka from 1987 to 1989, and again from 1993 to 1995. Swaziland and Guam are still on shortwave. Over the years TWR has broadcast on shortwave from many other relay locations on a leased-time basis, and on medium wave from still others.