Tag Archives: Podcast

Shortwave Radio Recordings: Marion’s Attic

Marion Webster (Source: Marion's Attic)

Marion Webster (Source: Marion’s Attic)

If you’ve never heard Marion’s Attic on WBCQ, you don’t know what you’ve been missing–especially if you love early music recordings. Marion’s Attic describes the show as:

“[A] unique radio program, broadcasted on WBCQ, The Planet, [7.49] MHz (Shortwave Radio) every Sunday at 5 PM Eastern time. Hosted by Marion Webster & Kristina, and with occasional special guests.”

“Marion’s Attic is an eclectic radio program which plays original cylinder and disc records from the late 1890’s to the mid 1930’s. Having a library containing thousands of standard size cylinder records, dozens of 5 inch Concert Cylinders and an unknown amount of 78’s allows us to share unusual and forgotten music that you cannot hear anywhere else. What makes this special radio program unique is I play original records on the original phonographs when possible; many of which are over 100 years old. The theme varies from week to week; a show may feature popular songs from the early 1900’s one week, wild dance music from the roaring 20’s the next week.”

Marion’s Attic has been on WBCQ since September 21st, 1999 and is certainly one of their most popular shows. It’s quirky and authentic. I love it.

(Source: edisonphonology.com)

(Source: edisonphonology.com)

Mary tells us that each episode is recorded in her attic using simple recording equipment and original phonographs including:

  • 1898 Edison Home phonograph for brown wax cylinders
  • 1900 Columbia Graphophone AG for Concert Cylinders
  • 1908 Edison Standard Model D phonograph for 2 & 4 minute wax cylinders
  • 1913 Edison Amberola V phonograph for Blue Amberol cylinders
  • 1923 Edison London Upright phonograph for Diamond Discs
  • 1965 Gerrard electronic turntable for 78 rpm records

Yesterday afternoon, at 16:59 EST (21:59 UTC), I tuned to Marion’s Attic on 7,490 kHz and started recording. You’ll hear about one minute of WBCQ’s interval signal and station ID, then straight into Marion’s Attic. Click here to download the show as an MP3 or simply listen via the embedded player below:

If you missed Marion’s Attic yesterday, you can catch it again tonight on WBCQ–check out the full broadcast schedule below:

  • Sundays:  7,490 kHz, 05:00PM – 06:00PM ET (22:00 – 23:00 UTC)
  • Mondays: 5,110 kHz, 09:00PM – 10:00PM ET (02:00 – 03:00 UTC)

WBCQ is easily heard in North, Central and South America–also in Europe.

Marion and Kristina often give shout outs to their listeners. You can contact them at [email protected] or:

Marion’s Attic
P.O. Box 583
Coventry, CT 06238

Many thanks to Marion and Kristina for sharing your wonderful collection of early music recordings!  I’d also like to thank SWLing Post reader, Mike, who is a big fan of Marion’s Attic and unknowingly gave me a nudge to mention their show here.

Spread the radio love

Shortwave Radio Recordings: Radio Australia

CRI-bandwidthLike most Friday mornings, yesterday at 11:00 UTC, I tuned to 9,580 kHz to listen to Radio Australia news and ABC National’s technology program Download This Show.

While the signal out of Shepparton, Australia was as strong as ever, I heard adjacent interference from China Radio International.

Indeed, looking my WinRadio Excalibur‘s spectrum display (see image on right), you can see that CRI’s signal on 9,570 kHz was actually producing noise 15 kHz on either side of their AM carrier (for a total bandwidth of 30 kHz!). Radio Australia’s signal was much cleaner, sticking to their allotted 10 kHz bandwidth limit.

The recording of Radio Australia was still quite good, despite the interference, because I was able to run the Excalibur’s AM sync detector locked on the (less noisy) upper side band.

Click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below:

Spread the radio love

All India Radio: A Welcome Voice

taj_mahalMany afternoons, I’m drawn to All India Radio on 9,445 kHz. I love what the ether does to their Bengaluru transmitting station’s signal as it travels at the speed of light over 8,700 miles to my home here in the southeastern US.

I enjoy, too, the way All India Radio announcers speak the news, in slow cadence, honoring the fine tradition of radio: “This is the general overseas service of All India Radio. It’s time now for the news.  Please stand by…” I also delight in their English language news bulletins, which begin with “Namaskar.”  I appreciate this–it makes it much easier for me to identify the station when listening on an analog radio like my BC-348-Q. I’m sure this makes a difference for many other listeners seeking their station, too.

I also love All India Radio–like I do the Voice of Greece–for their superb music. Where else on the shortwave dial will I hear the sitar sing, as on AIR?

But don’t take my word for it. If you live in North America and Europe, when conditions are favorable, All India Radio is a favorite listening experience for many–myself obviously included.

For your listening enjoyment, here is a 30 minute recording I made of All India Radio only an hour ago on 9,445 kHz, starting at 22:00 UTC. Click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below:

Spread the radio love

Shortwave Radio Recordings: Voice of Greece

greeceFor your listening pleasure: almost three hours of music–ranging from modern to folk–and a little Greek commentary, from the Voice of Greece.

Recorded today, May 13, 2013 on 9.42 MHz starting around 01:52 UTC.

Click here to download the full recording, or simply listen via the embedded player below:

Spread the radio love

Shortwave Radio Recordings: Voice of Greece

greeceFor your listening pleasure: four hours of music, and a little Greek commentary, from the Voice of Greece.

I recorded this broadcast on Sunday, April 21st March 8th, 2013 on 9.42 MHz at 18:30 UTC. While recording, I piped the shortwave audio through our home hi-fi system–it sounded absolutely amazing. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.

Click here to download the full recording, or simply listen via the embedded player below:

Spread the radio love

Propaganda from the source: Listening to the Voice of Korea on shortwave radio

FlagNorthKoreaOne of the countries dominating the headlines of global news lately is North Korea. As Kim Jong-un raises tensions and rattles his nuclear saber, the rest of the world is attempting to determine if this is a egotistical show of power for the benefit of all observers (as with previous leaders) or if there is real intention behind the rhetoric.

Just this morning Pyongyang has warned that Tokyo would be a primary strike target if war were to break out, or if their test missile is downed; they’ve even moved their missile launch pad into position.

Regardless of outcome of these provocations, I know that the bulk of the North Korean population will suffer. North Korean mainstream “news” consists of images of military parades in the immaculate capital city of Pyongyang; but the reality is that most of the population live in rural North Korea, which is subject to severe food shortages and extreme poverty.

We know North Korea is a country that carefully controls and manipulates their media internally; they also broadcast the same flavor of propaganda externally on shortwave radio via the Voice of Korea.

As shortwave radio listeners, we have the distinct advantage of being able to listen directly to the case of North Korea. We can actually hear (and analyze for ourselves) the North Korea propaganda directly from the source. Note that it’s not uncommon for the Voice of Korea to unexpectedly go off air, likely due to power shortages: this fact is much more suggestive of the of general conditions in the country than the “news” itself.

Depending on where you live in the world, your ability to hear the (relatively weak) Voice of Korea will vary.  If you live in the Asia/Pacific region, the station is very audible.

Yesterday morning at 10:00 UTC, I recorded an hour of their English broadcast to South America on 11.71 MHz. You can download an mp3 of the recording by clicking here, or simply listen via the embedded player below:

Below, you’ll find the current broadcast schedule for the Voice of Korea English service courtesy of North Korea Tech:

NorthKoreaMapVOK English (time in UTC)

  • 04:00 on 7220, 9445, 9730 kHz to Northeast Asia
  • 04: 00 on 11735, 13760, 15180 kHz to Central & South America
  • 05:00 on 13650, 15105 kHz to Southeast Asia
  • 06:00 on 7220, 9445, 9730 kHz to Northeast Asia
  • 10:00 on 11710, 15180 kHz to Central & South America
  • 10:00 on 11735, 13650 kHz to Southeast Asia
  • 13:00 on 13760, 15245 kHz to Western Europe
  • 13:00 on 9435, 11710 kHz to North America
  • 15:00 on 13760, 15245 kHz to Western Europe
  • 15:00 on 9435, 11710 kHz to North America
  • 16:00 on 9890, 11645 kHz to Near & Middle East; North Africa
  • 18:00 on 13760, 15245 kHz to Western Europe
  • 19:00 on 7210, 11910 kHz to South Africa
  • 19:00 on 9875, 11635 kHz to Near & Middle East; North Africa
  • 21:00 on 13760, 15245 kHz to Western Europe

For a full schedule of the Voice of Korea, please visit this page on North Korea Tech.

Spread the radio love

Shortwave Radio Recordings: Radio Australia Jazz Notes

This episode of Jazz Notes starts with a piece by the Australian band,  The Catholics. (Photo: Bugle Records)

This episode of Jazz Notes starts with a piece by the Australian jazz band, The Catholics. (Photo: Bugle Records)

For your listening pleasure: thirty minutes of Radio Australia’s Jazz Notes.

This broadcast was recorded today at 13:30 UTC on 9,580 kHz.  As on most mornings, the signal out of Shepparton, Australia, was very strong; the audio fidelity was, in consequence, very impressive for a transmission emanating from some 9,800 miles away.

You can download this recording of Jazz Notes by clicking here, or simply listen via the embedded player below:

Spread the radio love