A Free Radio on frequency formerly allocated to state broadcaster RAI
On Thursday, October 3rd, we had the opportunity to interview Vincenzo Pagliaro, founder and President of the Cultural Association ‘Fare Musica’, holder of the broadcasting rights for the 1575 kHz frequency.
FM-world (M.H.Barsotti): When was Centrale Milano born and what was the initial idea?
Centrale Milano (Vincenzo Pagliaro / Enzo Bassman): The radio started in an embryonic and experimental way, only streaming, in 2016 with the idea of spreading independent music, particularly that made by Milanese artists but not only (in the photo Raffaele Kohler and Francesco Misitano in our studios) and with the intention of retracing the times of free radio pioneers that the founder and President of the radio had experienced firsthand in the late ’70s working as a speaker in several Milanese radio stations (Radio Derby Milano, Capital Milano, Top Italia radio and others) as well as a voice actor.
This idea then matured until the establishment of the Cultural Association Fare Musica and obtaining authorizations to operate on Medium Wave, thus combining the idea of helping to spread the culture of performed music, the promotion of radio broadcasting also through historical frequencies previously belonging to RAI such as 1575 kHz on which we took over.
1 KW from Alessandria

FM-world: Any technical details? Where do you broadcast from, type of antenna, power used, and listening area during day and night?
V.P.: The transmitter site is in Alessandria, the antenna is a folded dipole with power up to 1Kw carrier. The most effective listening area during the day is Piedmont and Lombardy, at night reception reports come from all over Italy and abroad (France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Netherlands, England, Sweden, Finland). Naturally, given the limited authorized power, those who receive from more distant areas normally have antennas capable of receiving our signal.
Poetry and Radio Dramas
FM-world: Your station seems to go beyond just broadcasting music, I’d say in line with US stations where talk or music mixed with speech seems to be the key to existence on AM. Do you plan to develop this aspect further?
V.P.: Yes, we promote initiatives perhaps not exactly in line with the US but with our own ideas.
We have various types of collaborations that allow the radio to broadcast frequent spaces dedicated to poetry, written and recited by the listeners themselves, cultural insights related to music and artists who tell their projects, entrepreneurs who tell their success stories, radio dramas, ‘button and buttonhole’ stories performed by actor friends of the radio, the ‘piantala’ column dedicated to greenery, love for flowers and plants.
Not just music but ideas, different things in some cases never done on radio. The music fades and in comes a poem, a story, a tale, a column dedicated to mountains and radio amateurs. This is Centrale Milano, the radio that loves radio.
Labour of Love
FM-world: In your opinion, can an AM radio today, obviously with a parallel streaming service, be economically sustainable, or at least cover operating costs? Or is it a “labour of love”?

V.P.: For us it’s a great passion, a great love. We understand those who invest capital for economic return, which however we find difficult to imagine.
For us, the return is cultural and success is represented by those who don’t abandon their radio receiver and still follow Medium Wave and the charm that represents the warm and rich listening of a good receiver. Streaming, the website etc… are there and represent a bridge that we will try to keep active as long as possible.
Power927? Great friends of ours
FM-world: Finally, are you open to program proposals from third parties, somewhat like the historic American cable “access TV” model?
V.P.: Certainly, some are already on air and are very appreciated like Me&Blues, Jazztrain and other programs but especially the collaboration with our great friends from Power927 who offer us Midnight Lover.
Medium Wave, if operated by those who truly love radio, can still produce emotions and our antennas are available to those who share our philosophy.