Monthly Archives: January 2018

“Empire of the Air” – a history of radio broadcasting

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mike Hansgen, who notes that Ken Burns’ film, Empire of the Air is now streaming on YouTube. This impressive documentary was originally broadcast in 1992.  The following is a summary taken from the Empire of the Air website:

For 50 years radio dominated the airwaves and the American consciousness as the first “mass medium.” In Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio, Ken Burns examines the lives of three extraordinary men who shared the primary responsibility for this invention and its early success, and whose genius, friendship, rivalry and enmity interacted in tragic ways. This is the story of Lee de Forest, a clergyman’s flamboyant son, who invented the audion tube; Edwin Howard Armstrong, a brilliant, withdrawn inventor who pioneered FM technology; and David Sarnoff, a hard-driving Russian immigrant who created the most powerful communications company on earth.

Against the backdrop of radio’s “Golden Age,” Empire of the Air relates the history of radio through archival photographs, newsreels of the period and interviews with such well-known radio personalities as Garrison Keillor, the late sports commentator Red Barber, radio dramatist Norman Corwin and the late broadcast historian Erik Barnouw.

As with many videos on YouTube, this film could be removed at any time without warning. I suggest watching this soon:

Click here to view on YouTube.

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DW Documentary about the South Atlantic island of St. Helena

Many of you likely know I’m fascinated by remote islands and communities–especially the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha.

If you’ve been an SWL for a few decades you likely also remember the very popular Radio St. Helena day! We’ve posted several articles about it in the past–click here to read through our archives. I really miss that annual listening event.

The other day, while browsing sailing videos on YouTube, I uncovered this excellent little documentary about St. Helena via Deutsche Welle. Enjoy:

Click here to view on YouTube.

Someday I hope to visit the Island of St. Helena–it’s been on my bucket list for many years!

Post readers: Please comment if you’ve ever traveled to or lived on St. Helena! Tell your story!

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Streaming radio: Ron recommends Radio Station World

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ron, who writes:

Your recent Sangean HD review just brought this to mind:

http://radiostationworld.com

Just select your area, get the subs right off streaming…they’re all there.
He has shortwave broadcasters, too.

Enjoy!

Thanks for thew tip, Ron!  I like how the site is based on geographic regions.

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WRTH updates to B17 schedule

(Source: Sean Gilbert via WRTH Facebook)

As in past seasons, WRTH is pleased to announce that an update file for the B17 broadcast schedules is now available for free download from http://www.wrth.com

This update contains changes, additions and frequency cancellations; new stations that have become active since WRTH was published; and the revised full schedules of certain stations.

We hope you find this file useful as an addition to WRTH (it is formatted in the same manner as the printed WRTH), or it can be used on its own, of course.

Please forward this information to your various mailing lists and reflectors and to anyone else who may be interested.

73 and happy listening

from the WRTH Editorial staff

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World Radio Day 2018: Radio Romania International seeks listener input

(Source: Radio Romania International via David Iurescia, LW4DAF)

February 13 is a day to celebrate radio, to improve international cooperation between broadcasters and to encourage major networks and community radios to promote access to information, freedom of expression and gender equality over the airwaves. The theme of World Radio Day this year is “Radio and Sports”.

As we look forward to a year of momentous sporting events, events that have the ability to unite the hearts and minds of people everywhere, UNESCO calls on all radio stations around the world to showcase the beauty of sports in all of its diversity.

Radio Romania invites you to bring your contribution to our World Radio Day show by telling us what sports topics you would prefer hearing about in our programmes.

World Radio Day, celebrated on 13 February, marks the anniversary of the first broadcast by UN Radio in 1946, when it transmitted its first call sign: “This is the United Nations calling the peoples of the world.”

World Radio Day seeks to raise awareness about the importance of radio, facilitate access to information through radio, and enhance networking among broadcasters.

To celebrate World Radio Day, we invite you, dear listeners and Internet users, to send us short messages, by email, at [email protected]

Click here to view this post on RRI’s website.

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Yes, Brother Stair is back on the air

SWLing Post readers may have already heard Brother Stair back on the air this past weekend.

Stair was released on January 24 with a $750,000 bail.

Click here to read the story at The Post and Courier.

In truth, Brother Stair never really left the shortwaves. WBCQ (and others?) replayed archived Overcomer Ministry shows while Brother Stair was incarcerated.

In fact, shortly after Stair was taken into custody last month, WBCQ’s Allan Weiner–a friend of Brother Stair–shared his thoughts on the air. Overcomer Ministry still has this audio available on their website:

Screenshot taken from the Overcomer Ministry website.

Click here to listen to Alan Weiner’s recorded show.

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BBC: “Meet the girl whose teacher is a radio”

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mike Hansgen, who shares this news/media from the BBC World Service:

Could broadcasting school lessons solve Africa’s education crisis? The BBC spoke to a pupil in the Democratic Republic of Congo who is learning through the radio.

Click here to view on the BBC World Service website.

At Ears To Our World we’ve long appreciated the power of radio to spread information in rural and remote parts of the world: it’s effective, accessible and essentially free to the listener. Viva la radio!

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