World Radio Day: Kentucky’s Real People Radio

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A new documentary from the BBC, produced by SWLing Post friend and contributor David Goren and presented by Maria Margaronis, is now available to listen to online.

Kentucky’s Real People Radio, from The Documentary Podcast, visits WMMT in Whitesburg, Kentucky, a small community radio station known locally as “Possum Radio,” which serves coalfield communities in Appalachia and now faces an uncertain future amid potential cuts to public funding. The programme explores why community stations like WMMT matter more than ever, providing trusted local information, emergency alerts, and a rare platform for voices often unheard in national media.

You can listen to the full documentary, with embedded audio, on BBC Sounds here:
https://www.bbc.com/audio/play/p0n0g9f2

Update: If you don’t have a BBC account and can’t access the recording above, they also make the recording available via this link, which I’ll also embed below:

World Radio Day: Vatican Radio Celebrates with 7 Multi-Language Programs

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor David Iurescia, who shares the following news from Vatican Radio:

On 13 February 2026, on the occasion of World Radio Day (WRD), Radio Vaticana – Vatican News has organised a special initiative in seven languages with seven radio programs that will become themed podcasts dedicated to the future of radio, public service, innovation, and the relationship between media, society, and artificial intelligence.

The initiative comes the day after the 95th birthday of the Radio of the Popes: 12 February 2026. Founded in 1931 at the behest of Pope Pius XI and created by the father of radio, Guglielmo Marconi, the Pope’s broadcaster is one of the oldest in the world, born to connect the Holy See with every part of the planet and to speak to diverse peoples, cultures, and languages.

Read the full article at Vatican Radio by clicking here.

Tim Davie Warns of Funding Cliff for the BBC World Service

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Mark Hirst, who shares this Guardian article examining the future of the BBC World Service. In the piece, outgoing BBC Director-General Tim Davie warns that the World Service is approaching a serious funding cliff, with the current government support agreement set to expire and no replacement yet in place. Davie emphasizes the continued importance of the World Service’s global reach and trusted journalism at a time when reliable international news is under increasing pressure worldwide.

You can read the full article here:
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/feb/10/bbc-world-service-funding-tim-davie

Riding the shortwave train

Radio Bulgaria Marks Its 90th Anniversary with a New QSL Card Series

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Paul Jamet, who shares the following update and QSL card images related to Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) and Radio Bulgaria.

As Radio Bulgaria looks ahead to its 90th anniversary in 2026, Bulgarian National Radio has announced a new commemorative QSL card series for listeners who submit reception reports. The series will include 12 different QSL cards, each highlighting a key moment from the history of BNR and the Radio Bulgaria service. According to BNR, a new card will be released each month, along with a short publication explaining the historical background behind the featured image.

One of the cards commemorates Bulgaria’s first radio transmission in 1929, an important milestone that marked the beginning of organized radio broadcasting in the country. Additional background articles from BNR revisit the early days of Radio Bulgaria and trace how the service evolved into an international broadcaster with listeners around the world.

Paul also points to a broader retrospective titled “BNR at 90 – A Story of Pride and No Prejudice,” which looks back on nine decades of Bulgarian National Radio. The piece reflects on BNR’s history through periods of political change and technological transition, while underscoring the role of public broadcasting in preserving culture and maintaining a connection with international audiences.

Attached at the top and bottom of this post are two QSL cards from Paul’s own collection.

Many thanks again to Paul for sharing both the news and the QSL images!

The Remarkable Life of Dr. Leslie Radnay, W1PL

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Dan Greenall, who writes:

I know many of your readers are amateur radio operators and have a passion for all things radio. A couple of years ago, I was sorting through some of my old ham QSL’s and this one from W1PL caught my eye. A quick internet check confirmed he was indeed a silent key, however, I also uncovered his incredible story which I thought I would share here. Truly a remarkable individual.

Dr. Leslie (Laci) Radnay, W1PL

Dr. Leslie (Laci) Radnay, W1PL (1912-2008), is a story of how perseverance, determination, and the love of radio got him through the most challenging of circumstances imaginable, time and time again. In fact, it is truly the stuff that Hollywood movies are made of.

In spite of all of this, he was never too busy to help others. Certainly someone to look up to and admire for what he was able to accomplish, and I feel privileged to have had even just a brief contest-style QSO with him. He was instrumental in helping to start the Hungarian Radio Amateur Association and got on the air with a self-assigned callsign in 1928.

Click on this PDF file link to read his incredible story.

Attached are images of a number of QSL cards he issued over the years.

Thank you, Dan, for sharing.

Reading through Laci Radnay’s life story, I’m struck not only by the sheer scale of what he endured, but by how completely radio remained a constant thread throughout it all. Time and again, regimes changed, borders closed, equipment was confiscated, and lives were upended—yet radio, and the community surrounding it, always found a way back into his life.

W1PL’s story is a powerful reminder that amateur radio is far more than a technical pursuit; it is a human one. It builds resilience, forges lifelong friendships across borders, and, in Laci’s case, provided continuity, purpose, and connection through some of the darkest chapters of the 20th century.

I’m deeply grateful to Dan for sharing this remarkable story, and honored to help preserve the memory of an operator whose life so beautifully embodied the very best of our radio community. -Thomas