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Hot Off The Press: The Worldwide Listening Guide’s Eleventh Edition

As a dedicated content DXer and broadcast enthusiast, I’ve always found joy in the pursuit of obscure programming across various mediums. While shortwave radio has been my preferred method since childhood, the allure of Wi-Fi radio and streaming content has grown increasingly appealing over time. Amidst the vast landscape of online content, The Worldwide Listening Guide (WWLG) has consistently stood out as my go-to resource, and the recently released eleventh edition continues to be an invaluable tool for content discovery.

Once again, author and curator John Figliozzi has crafted a comprehensive guide tailored to the diverse interests of SWLs like myself. Going beyond a mere programming guide, the WWLG delves deep into the world of broadcasting and content delivery, covering platforms such as AM, Shortwave, FM, Satellite Radio, Internet (WiFi Radio), and Podcasting.

Each chapter dedicated to these platforms serves as a simple primer, offering insights into the state of broadcasting from both the broadcaster’s and listener’s perspectives. Reminiscent of the informative Passport to Worldband Radio that I first encountered in the 1990s, the WWLG not only provides programming details but also addresses the health and potential longevity of each platform.

What truly sets the WWLG apart is its attention to both over-the-air and online broadcasting.

Even for someone reasonably knowledgeable about radio and the media landscape, each edition of The Worldwide Listening Guide brings fresh discoveries. The eleventh edition, presented in a slim volume, maintains this tradition. What particularly pleases me is the WWLG‘s spiral-bound format, which makes it incredibly convenient to reference while exploring the airwaves or navigating the internet.

Figliozzi’s exploration of the many facets of radio is both insightful and detailed, making the WWLG an indispensable resource for anyone interested in broadcasting. It serves as a curated guide, akin to a local independent bookstore for online content and programming, aiding listeners in navigating the abundance of options.

Furthermore, each edition of the WWLG contains new and updated content, showcasing Figliozzi’s keen awareness of the dynamic space that is online streaming and downloadable media. As a dear friend of mine, I know there simply couldn’t be a better author and curator for this volume.

Packed with a wealth of information, The Worldwide Listening Guide is a true bargain, promising to keep content DXers engaged for years to come. I wholeheartedly recommend it to those seeking a deeper understanding of broadcasting and a reliable tool for content discovery.

Click here to purchase from Universal Radio.

Click here to purchase The Worldwide Listening Guide on Amazon.com. Note that this Amazon affiliate link supports the SWLing Post at no cost to you. Thank you!

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A look inside: The Worldwide Listening Guide’s Tenth Edition

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As I’ve mentioned many times here on the SWLing Post, I’m something of a “content DXer.”

Clearly, I enjoy chasing obscure programming––news, documentaries, music, variety shows, anything the broadcasting world has to offer. Even though my favorite medium for doing this has been shortwave radio, these days, I often turn to Wi-Fi or over-the-internet radio. Wi-Fi radio offers the discerning listener the ability to track down fascinating regional content from every corner of the globe––content never actually intended for an international audience.

If you, too, like the chase, The Worldwide Listening Guide (WWLG) will be your go-to, and this recent edition––the tenth!––is the latest in a long line of handy volumes that help the listener catch what’s out there, noting that with each passing year there’s more content to catch.

Cornucopia of content

The variety of content from online broadcasters today is surely orders of magnitude more than any one individual has ever had via over-the-air (OTA) radio sources.

Though my WiFi radio offers an easy and reliable way to “tune” to online content––both real-time station streams and on-demand podcasts––the content discovery part is actually quite difficult. I liken it to browsing a large public library looking for a new and interesting book to read, but without the guidance of a librarian. The options are so plentiful that even with superb indexing and organization, one simply doesn’t know where to begin.

On the other hand––and I’m speaking from very recent experience here––if you find a good local independent bookstore, you might actually discover more meaningful titles because the bookstore selections are curated by both the proprietor and the local community.

With this analogy in mind, The Worldwide Listening Guide is essentially my local bookstore for online content and programming.

I recently received a review copy of the new 10th Edition of the Worldwide Listening Guide by John Figliozzi and, as always, I enjoyed reading it from cover to cover.

The WWLG speaks to the types of programming I enjoy as an SWL because the author, John Figliozzi, is a devoted shortwave radio and international broadcasting enthusiast.

And while the bulk of the WWLG is a detailed and beautifully organized programming guide, it’s also so much more…

“The Many Platforms of radio”

As I’ve so often said, the WWLG is a unique guide; there’s nothing quite like it on the market because it truly takes a deep dive into the world of broadcasting and content delivery both from a technology and programming point of view.

Each media delivery platform, whether on AM, Shortwave, FM, Satellite Radio, Internet (WiFi Radio), and Podcasting, has a dedicated section in the book where Figliozzi explores each in detail. He also speaks to the state of each platform both from the broadcaster’s and the listener’s perspective.

Indeed, each chapter dedicated to these topics very much reminds me of the old Passport to Worldband Radio that I first picked up in the 1990s. The WWLG serves as a primer, but also speaks to the health and potential longevity of each platform.

I appreciate the fact that Figliozzi also addresses the nuts-and-bolts side of both over-the-air and online broadcasting. For while I’d like to think that I’m reasonably knowledgeable about the world of radio, I find I always discover something new in each edition.

There’s a surprising amount of information packed into this slim, spiral-bound volume. The Worldwide Listening Guide is enough to keep even a seasoned content DXer happy for years…or at least, until the latest edition comes out!

In short? The WWLG is a bargain for all it offers, and I highly recommend it.

The 10th edition of The Worldwide Listening Guide can be purchased here:

Note that at time of posting copies of the WWLG can be pre-ordered at Universal Radio. Amazon.com will soon have links to purchase the 10th edition when they’re in inventory. I assume the W5YI group will also have the 10th edition available for purchase soon!

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Pre-order the 10th Edition of The Worldwide Listening Guide

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Tom Ally, who notes that Universal Radio is accepting pre-orders for the 10th edition of John Figliozzi’s The Worldwide Listening Guide.

Click here to check out the WWLG at Universal Radio.

Note that Universal Radio closed their main store in Ohio, but continue to offer select radio products via their website.

Thanks for the tip, Tom!

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The Worldwide Listening Guide: A deep dive into online and over-the-air listening

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I recently received a review copy of the 9th Edition of the Worldwide Listening Guide by John Figliozzi:

While WRTH is my favorite guide for radio frequencies and schedules, Figliozzi’s Worldwide Listening Guide (WWLG) is my go-to for programming and content, not only helpful on the shortwaves, but especially handy when tracking online content.

The WWLG is a unique guide–there’s nothing quite like it on the market. I look forward to each edition because it truly takes a deep dive into the world of broadcasting, technology, and programming.

“Deep dive” almost feels like an understatement. I received the latest edition only a few days before Christmas travels, so packed it in my luggage and read it over the course of a week. Being the editor of the SWLing Post, I’m in the middle of a constant stream of news items and tips about the world of broadcasting and communications technology. When I read the WWLG, however, I discover so much information about the broadcasting industry as a whole, the health of various platforms, particular media companies, and even the history and technology behind content delivery systems.

Case in point: I always assumed SiriusXM satellite radio was delivered by a network of geostationary satellites. Turns out, they use a hybrid system of both “roving” satellites that orbit in a figure 8 pattern and geostationary satellites in the Clarke Belt. The WWLG is chock-full of details like this.

Each media delivery platform–AM, Shortwave, FM, Satellite Radio, Internet (WiFi Radio), and Podcasting–has a dedicated section in the book where Figliozzi explores each in detail. He also includes a “State of the Radio Platforms” chapter where he examines the health and potential direction of each.

SWLing Post contributor, Mark Fahey, recently summed up his love of the WWLG in the following comment:

[I]t’s the best guide to digital streaming media I have ever found. An indispensable guide to the world’s public broadcasters and others broadcasters who appeal to us raised on decades of shortwave.

As shortwave transmitters close, don’t make the mistake of thinking your favourite broadcasters disappear – they in most cases continue and the Worldwide Listening Guide will guide you to them as live and on-demand programs.

I use the guide as a directory for online listening, but of course RF transmission broadcasts are comprehensively covered as well.

I agree 100%.

Like Mark and many SWLs, I’m something of a “Content DXer:” I love chasing obscure programming––news, documentaries, music, and variety shows, anything the broadcasting world has to offer. For this, I often turn to Wi-Fi radio. Wi-Fi radio offers the discerning listener the ability to track down fascinating regional content from every corner of the globe––content never actually intended for an international audience.

Digging into local content via a WiFi radio isn’t nearly as challenging or fun (for me, at least) as scanning the shortwave bands in search of elusive weak signal DX or a pop-up pirate radio station. Though my WiFi radio offers an easy and reliable way to “tune” to online content–both station streams and podcasts–the actual content discovery part is quite difficult.

Truth is, there’s so much content out there–tens of thousands of stations and shows–it’s hard to know where to start!

This is where the WWLG comes in: Figliozzi exhaustively curates thousands of programs, indexing their airing times, stations, days of broadcast, program types, frequencies, and web addresses. Additionally, he sorts the programs by genre: arts, culture, history, music, sports, and more. And Figliozzi also includes a well-thought-out directory of at least forty genres. In my shack and office, the WWLG has been an invaluable tool for content discovery.

There’s a surprising amount of information packed into this slim, spiral-bound edition of the Worldwide Listening Guide…enough to keep even a seasoned content DXer happy for years.

The 9th edition of Worldwide Listening Guide can be purchased here:

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The 8th Edition of the Worldwide Listening Guide

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I’m very pleased to have received the 8th edition of John Figliozzi’s Worldwide Listening Guide (WWLG), the latest, most updated version of the excellent guide I’ve often reviewed.

SWLing Post readers know that I’m a huge fan of the Word Radio TV Handbook (WRTH); it’s my go-to guide for radio frequencies and schedules.

Figliozzi’s Worldwide Listening Guide is my go-to for programming and content, not only helpful on the shortwaves, but especially handy when tracking online content.

Indeed, the WWLG is a unique guide–there’s nothing quite like it on the market. As I’ve said, you may want a copy of the WWLG in your shack, especially alongside your computer or Wi-Fi radio.

WWLG: The Content DXers Guide

Like many SWLs, I’m something of a “Content DXer:” I love chasing obscure programming––news, documentaries, music, and variety shows, anything the broadcasting world has to offer. For this, I often turn to Wi-Fi radio. Wi-Fi radio offers the discerning listener the ability to track down fascinating regional content from every corner of the globe––content never actually intended for an international audience.

Digging into local content via a WiFi radio isn’t nearly as challenging or fun (for me, at least) as scanning the shortwave bands in search of elusive weak signal DX or pop-up pirate radio station. Though my WiFi radio offers an easy and reliable way to “tune” to online content, the actual content discovery part is quite difficult.

Truth is, there’s so much content out there–tens of thousands of stations and shows–it’s hard to know where to start!

This is where the WWLG comes in: Figliozzi exhaustively curates more than 4,000 programs (!), indexing their airing times, stations, days of broadcast, program types, frequencies, and web addresses. Additionally, he sorts the programs by genre: arts, culture, history, music, sports, and more. And Figliozzi also includes a well-thought-out directory of at least forty genres. In short, this directory has helped me not just locate, but identify, programming I would never have known about otherwise.

Frankly, I’m not sure how Figliozzi manages to curate such a vast assortment of programming. But I’m happy that he does, and especially, that he offers it for the SWL’s benefit––!

As I’ve said many time before, the WWLG has become a permanent reference book in my shack, alongside my trusty WRTH. There’s a surprising amount of information packed into this slim, spiral-bound book…enough to keep even a seasoned content DXer happy for years.

The 8th edition of Worldwide Listening Guide can be purchased here:

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The Worldwide Listening Guide: the content DXer’s handbook

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WWLG-7th-Edition I’m very pleased to have just received the 7th edition of John Figliozzi’s Worldwide Listening Guide (WWLG), the latest, most updated version of the excellent guide I’ve often reviewed.

As I’ve said, you may want a copy of the WWLG in your shack, especially alongside your computer or Wi-Fi radio.

SWLing Post readers know that I’m a huge fan of the Word Radio TV Handbook (WRTH); it’s my go-to guide for radio frequencies and schedules. Well, Figliozzi’s Worldwide Listening Guide is my go-to for programming and content, not only helpful on the shortwaves, but also handy when tracking online content.

WWLG: The Content DXers Guide

But the fact is, there’s so much content out there, it’s hard to know where to start. This is where the WWLG comes in: Figliozzi exhaustively curates more than 4,000 programs (!), indexing their airing times, stations, days of broadcast, program types, frequencies, and web addresses. Additionally, he sorts the programs by genre: arts, culture, history, music, sports, and more. And Figliozzi also includes a well-thought-out directory of at least forty genres. In short, this directory has helped me not just locate, but identify, programming I would never have known about otherwise.

Frankly, I’m not sure how Figliozzi manages to curate such a vast assortment of programming. But I’m happy that he does, and especially, that he offers it for the SWL’s benefit––!

Thus the WWLG has become a permanent reference book in my shack, alongside my trusty WRTH. There’s a surprising amount of information packed into this slim, spiral-bound book…enough to keep even a seasoned DXer contented for years.

The 7th edition of Worldwide Listening Guide can be purchased here:

With a retail price under $25, I feel like the WWLG is an excellent bargain.

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The Worldwide Listening Guide 7th Edition: now released

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WWLG-7th-Edition

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Thomas Ally, who notified me that he has just purchased a copy of the WWLG 7th edition through Amazon.

Here’s the description of the new edition:

New, fully-updated 7th edition provides a complete guide to listening to radio in all of today’s formats: “live,” on-demand, WiFi, podcast, terrestrial, satellite, internet, digital, and of course analog AM, FM, and Shortwave.

The introductory section explains all of the newest delivery methods for radio, and the devices used to access broadcasts from around the World at any time of day or night. Listening to programs from distant lands is no longer a late-night activity dependent upon shortwave propagation conditions. There are thousands of radio stations worldwide that use the Internet to stream their broadcasts. Traditional radio is being augmented by computers, tablets, smartphones, satellites, WiFi receivers, and multiplexed digital transmission methods, greatly enhancing the listening experience.

The Worldwide Listening Guide shows you how to access all of this audio content using these different delivery platforms. The Guide is focused on English language broadcasts that can be heard in North America. There is a comprehensive listing of more than 3500 programs. These are then placed in separate categories by program type, such as news, music, talk, current affairs.

The WWLG 7th edition is also available from Universal Radio, the W5YI Group and Ham Radio Outlet.

Whereas the WRTH–also just released–is a guide to stations and broadcasts, the WWLG is a guide to content and programming. I always have copies of both in my shack.

Thanks, Tom Ally, for the tip!

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