Monthly Archives: May 2019

“The dream of Biafra lives on in underground Nigerian radio broadcasts”

(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ed, who shares the following story about Radio Biafra from the LA Times:

Every evening as 5 o’clock approaches, the clogged, perpetually dusty streets of this industrial city in southeastern Nigeria begin to empty.

Groups of men just off work go inside, shut their doors and tune their radios to 102.1 FM.

Then an anthem begins to play, and a voice says “Kedu” ­ “how are you” in the Igbo language ­ to welcome listeners to the daily broadcast of Radio Biafra.

For the next 90 minutes, hosts and various guests proselytize for the revival of an old dream: the creation of an independent state called Biafra.

The broadcasts, conducted live from an undisclosed location in Nigeria, are illegal, and the group behind them ­ the Indigenous People of Biafra, or IPOB ­ has been classified by the government as a terrorist organization since 2017. Its leaders say they eschew violence and want a peaceful settlement of the issue through a national referendum.

Activists say people caught listening to the station have been arrested or beaten. But many residents here say they are willing to take the risk.

Radio Biafra is a daily reminder of the bloody civil war that ravaged Nigeria between 1967 and 1970. The conflict started when a Nigerian military general, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, declared an independent state of Biafra. It ended after more than a million deaths, mostly from starvation after the government imposed a food blockade on the region.

Ultimately, the rebels surrendered and the area was reintegrated into Nigeria under the government motto “No victor, no vanquished.”

But the memory of the brutal war looms large in Aba, feeding enthusiasm for the broadcasts despite extremely long odds that Biafra will ever come to be.[…]

Click here to read the full story at the LA Times.

Radio Biafra has also been elusive and rare DX for radio listeners. Click here to read more Radio Biafra posts in our archive.

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ABC has appointed David Anderson as managing director

ABC Melbourne (Photo: Mark Fahey)

David Anderson (Source: ABC)

(Source: The Guardian via Michael Bird)

David Anderson, a 30-year veteran at the public broadcaster, has been appointed ABC managing director by the chair, Ita Buttrose, replacing the sacked Michelle Guthrie.

“Mr Anderson is an exceptional media professional with strong content, digital and strategic experience,” Buttrose said.

“The ABC Board resolved unanimously to appoint David Anderson following a national and international search that produced many impressive candidates.

“With almost 30 years of service, David’s knowledge of the ABC is unsurpassed. He has a deep understanding of audience needs and the board is confident he has the skills and ability to respond to the challenges of a changing media environment.[…]

Click here to read the full story at The Guardian.

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Alan Roe’s A19 season guide to music on shortwave

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Alan Roe, who notes:

I attach a copy of my “Music Programmes on Shortwave” PDF list for the
new A-19 broadcast season for you to consider adding to your SWLing Post
pages.

Alan, thanks so much for keeping this brilliant music guide updated each broadcast season and for sharing it here with the community! I always print and keep a copy of your guide at my listening post!

Click here to download a PDF copy of Alan Roe’s Music on Shortwave A-19 v1.1.

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Frequency and Time Change for “This Is A Music Show”

Many thanks to the host of This is a Music Show who shares the following announcement:

I’m moving to a better frequency for the longer days. The move also means a time shift 30 minutes later.

Starting May 1, continuing every week for the summer:

9395 kHz 0130 UTC THURSDAY = Wed. evenings in the Americas (930pmET/630pmPT):

https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?p0=1440&iso=20190502T0130&msg=This%20Is%20A%20Music%20Show%20%23011%209395%20Khz

5850 kHZ 0100 UTC THURSDAY will still be on for the next couple of weeks during the transition:

https://www.timeanddate.com/countdown/generic?p0=1440&iso=20190502T01&msg=This%20Is%20A%20Music%20Show%20%23011%205850%20Khz

As always, the 3 most recent broadcast recordings are available here, processed for artificial stereo, using recordings from different SDRs. (Big thanks to Daz Man for processing these recordings, and improving the show’s broadcast fidelity!)

Click here to listen on SoundCloud.

After last week’s themed program, I’m back to the regular program of irregular second-hand record gems–hope you’ll tune in.

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Shortwave Service A19 Schedule

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, John Hoad, who notes that the German broadcaster, Shortwave Service, has posted their A19 schedule. We’ve included it below for your convenience:

(Source: Shortwave Service)

3985 kHz Montag-Freitag

1500-1530 UTC Radio Tirana Französisch
1530-1600 UTC Radio Slowakei Französisch
1600-1700 UTC SRF Echo der Zeit
1700-1800 UTC Radio Mi Amigo International
1800-1830 UTC Radio Slowakei Deutsch
1830-1900 UTC Radio Slowakei Französisch
1900-1930 UTC Radio Slowakei Englisch
1930-2000 UTC Radio Tirana Deutsch (Mo-Sa)
2000-2030 UTC Radio Tirana Italienisch (Mo-Sa)
2030-2050 UTC Radio Belarus Französisch
2030-2110 UTC Radio Belarus Spanisch

3985 kHz Samstag

1500-1530 UTC Radio Tirana Französisch
1530-1600 UTC Radio Slowakei Französisch
1600-1700 UTC SRF Echo der Zeit
1700-1800 UTC Radio Canada International Französisch
1800-1830 UTC Radio Slowakei Deutsch
1830-1900 UTC Radio Slowakei Französisch
1900-1930 UTC Radio Slowakei Englisch
1930-2000 UTC Radio Tirana Deutsch (Mo-Sa)
2000-2030 UTC Radio Tirana Italienisch (Mo-Sa)
2030-2050 UTC Radio Belarus Französisch
2030-2110 UTC Radio Belarus Spanisch

3985 kHz Sonntag

1500-1530 UTC Radio Tirana Französisch
1530-1600 UTC Radio Slowakei Französisch
1600-1700 UTC SRF Echo der Zeit
1700-1800 UTC Radio Canada International Englisch
1800-1830 UTC Radio Slowakei Deutsch
1830-1900 UTC Radio Slowakei Französisch
1900-1930 UTC Radio Slowakei Englisch
1930-2030 UTC Musik / Sonderprogramme
2030-2050 UTC Radio Belarus Französisch
2030-2110 UTC Radio Belarus Spanisch

6005 kHz Mo-Fr

0700-0900 Radio Belarus Deutsch
0900-0930 DP07 Seewetter
0930-1000 Voice of Mongolia Englisch
1000-1030 Radio Slowakei Deutsch
1030-1100 SRF RendezVous
1100-1130 Radio Slowakei Englisch
1130-1200 Radio Slowakei Französisch
1200-1230 DP07 Seewetter
1230-1300 Radio Tirana Englisch
1300-1330 Radio Slowakei Deutsch
1330-1400 Radio Slowakei Französisch
1400-1430 Radio Slowakei Spanisch
1430-1500 Radio Slowakei Englisch
1500-1530 Polskie Radio Deutsch
1530-1600 Radio Slowakei Englisch
1600-1700 SRF Echo der Zeit

6005 kHz Sa

0700-0900 Radio Belarus Deutsch
0900-0930 DP07 Seewetter
0930-1000 Voice of Mongolia Englisch
1000-1030 Radio Slowakei Deutsch
1030-1100 Musik
1100-1130 Radio Slowakei Englisch
1130-1200 Radio Slowakei Französisch
1200-1230 DP07 Seewetter
1230-1300 Radio Tirana Englisch
1300-1330 Radio Slowakei Deutsch
1330-1400 Radio Slowakei Französisch
1400-1430 Radio Slowakei Spanisch
1430-1500 Radio Slowakei Englisch
1500-1530 Polskie Radio Deutsch
1530-1600 Radio Slowakei Englisch
1600-1700 SRF Echo der Zeit

6005 kHz So

0700-0900 Radio Belarus Deutsch
0900-0930 DP07 Seewetter
0930-1000 Voice of Mongolia Englisch
1000-1030 Radio Slowakei Deutsch
1030-1100 Radio Canada International Französisch
1100-1130 Radio Slowakei Englisch
1130-1200 Radio Slowakei Französisch
1200-1230 DP07 Seewetter
1230-1300 Radio Canada International Englisch
1300-1330 Radio Slowakei Deutsch
1330-1400 Radio Slowakei Französisch
1400-1430 Radio Slowakei Spanisch
1430-1500 Radio Slowakei Englisch
1500-1530 Polskie Radio Deutsch
1530-1600 Radio Slowakei Englisch
1600-1700 SRF Echo der Zeit

Montag-Sonntag

0700-1700 Radio MiAmigo International*

Samstag-Sonntag 7310 kHz
1000-1400 Radio MiAmigo International*

*Deutsch / Englisch / Niederländisch, Programmplan unter
http://www.radiomiamigo.international/english/sw-schedule.html.
Zeitangaben in UTC, Stand: 1.5.2019

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FTIOM & UBMP, May 5-11


From the Isle of Music, May 5-11, 2019:

Part 2 of 2 Parts:
We finish our discussion of “Las Oscuras Leyendas de Chano Pozo” with its author, Ricardo Oropesa, while listening to some important recordings by Chano. Our other special guest is singer/bandleader Wil Campa, who will share some of his Timba and Salsa Cubana with us.
The broadcasts take place:
1. For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target area in most of the Eastern Hemisphere (including parts of East Asia and Oceania) with 100Kw, Sunday 1500-1600 UTC on SpaceLine, 9400 KHz, from Sofia, Bulgaria (1800-1900 MSK) Station website: www.spaceline.bg
2. For the Americas and parts of Europe, Tuesday 0000-0100 UTC (New UTC) on WBCQ, 7490 KHz from Monticello, ME, USA (Monday 8-9PM EST in the US).
Station website: www.wbcq.com
3 & 4. For Europe and sometimes beyond, Tuesday 1900-2000 UTC and Saturday 1200-1300 UTC on Channel 292, 6070 KHz from Rohrbach, Germany.
Station website: www.channel292.de

Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot, May 5 and 7, 2019:
Episode 110 features advanced Latin Jazz from the United States
The transmissions take place:
1.Sundays 2200-2230 UTC (6:00PM -6:30PM Eastern US) on WBCQ The Planet 7490 KHz from the US to the Americas and parts of Europe
2. Tuesdays 2000-2030 UTC on Channel 292, 6070 KHz from Rohrbach, Germany for Europe.

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Radio Deal: Eton Executive Satellite $96.68 shipped

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Gregg Freeby, who writes:

I just noticed the Eton Executive Satellite is now priced under $100 on Amazon. I’m sure it will change again soon but this is the lowest I’ve seen it at $96.68 at the time of this writing. Not too many sub $100 radios out there with the features this radio has. I also noticed that this radio is “sold out” on the Eton website – they actually point you to Amazon, so it may be reaching it’s end of life from a retail standpoint.

Wow–Gregg this is the best price I’ve ever seen on the Executive Satellite.  If you’ve been considering one, this would be the time to pull the trigger. I have the non-executive version, but I’m still tempted to snag one of these. It is an excellent performer and the audio from the internal speaker is better than most other portables its size.

Click here to view on Amazon.com (using this affiliate link supports the SWLing Post).

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