Halley VI Research Station on the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica (Source: British Antarctic Survey Team)
Every year, the BBC broadcasts a special program to the scientists and support staff in the British Antarctic Survey Team. The BBC plays music requests and sends special messages to the small team of 40+ located at various Antarctic research stations. Each year, the thirty minute show is guaranteed to be quirky, nostalgic, and certainly a DX-worthy catch!
After successful listener events from years past, I’m once again calling on all SWLing Post readers and shortwave radio listeners to make a short recording (say, 30-60 seconds) of the BBC Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast today and share it here at the Post.
The broadcast will take place at 21:30 UTC today.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributors Richard Langley and Alan Pennington who confirm the following broadcast frequencies:
- 5875 kHz
- 7360 kHz
- 9455 kHz
If you would like to participate in our BBC Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast recording event, please read our original post which includes all relevant details.
I received this broadcast in Anyang city, South Korea.
fair signal on 7360kHz
https://youtu.be/xJRdkSO_7lI
Hello from Tokyo, Japan.
On June 18th, I heard the BBC antarctic program via Ascension in Tokyo.
Unfortunately, sound became not clear after 10 minutes from the beginning.
SIMPO was 2.4.2.3.2.
You can check the sound from my Google Drive.
http://urx.blue/lpPV
hi to all , recieved the bbc antartica programme , from malta on 5875 and 7360 khz sinfo 54554 both using a sangean ats 818 with a 27 metres long wire antenna. were can i send the mp3 recording and video? thanks.
Hi Thomas and all!
First and again, happy birthday Thomas!
I received BBC Antarctic midwinter broadcast this year indoor with a Sangean ATS-909X and reel antenna connected to the whip on my vacation (last day) at the north sea (Germany). QTH: JO33NL. Receptions are on 5985 kHz from Wooferton and 7360 kHz from Ascension Island ok. As in the past, I did a full length video and posted it on my YT Channel: https://youtu.be/aRHYwKqz-2I
73s
Ralf
Happy belated birthday from me, too, Thomas!
I live in central Germany and had excellent reception, SINPO close to 55444, with Sony ICF2001D and whip antenna and with power plug (not batteries) just sitting at the window, set the alarmclock for my 11:30 PM not to miss it, and all three QRGs were close to perfect here. In the end, I settled to the 9 MHz one simply because my FritzBox, which I had turned off first, emits the least noise in the 31 meter band, so I could watch what the Antarctic station looks like besides on laptop. Really a fantastic experience and a nice tradition of the BBC, Thank you for the timely reminder, Thomas!
Thank you, Frank!
Hi to all, and happy birthday Thomas!
Here is my contribution to the stack:
https://youtu.be/jYhaW46Z3LI
Best Whishes,
Moshe.
Thank you, Moshe!
Blimey, listening to that for the first time (thanks, SWLing Post!) under some absolutely gorgeous midsummer midnight sky (2330-0000 local time), I found myself suprisingly moved by the program, erm, programme! 🙂
Of course I know that there are many more ways to reach the BAS stations today, but witnessing how 3 powerful shortwave transmitters were keyed on for half an hour to lift the morale of the 36 people down there in the dark was strangely heartwarming and lifted my morale a bit, too. For 30 minutes, shortwave was once again a happy place to be.
https://youtu.be/e1AqzhDaoYs
Here’s a very short recording of the BBC Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast with Sir Attenborough congratulating and thanking the British Antarctic team. Recorded @ downtown Curitiba-PR, Southern Brasil. https://youtu.be/XARSIhgcfJU
HI, just listened to the BBC Antarctic midwinter broadcast, I live just 30 miles east of the shortwave radio station,Woofferton,which for me listening, had poor sound quality about 5/7 with fading noise in the background.That’s what comes of living to near a radio station. The best frequency for me was 7360khz
from the Ascension ialand station 5/9 good sound. On 9455khz from Woofferton (?) I could just about listen but very poor sound quality. Were I live in Worcestershire,I am about 7 wave length (1500 mts x 7) from the BBC long wave radio station at Droitwich which was built in the 1930 ish and still going and tranmits on198khz (1500 mts) I can just see the top red light on the mast. I have been listeing on shortwaves for about 58 years an a Radio ham as well .
I will also wish you a happy birthday! Thanks a lot for your great work on this shortwave hobby blog!
And sorry for not recording the broadcast tonight. It will start in an hours time from now, but bed is calling, since I get up early tomorrow for work.
Best regards from Denmark!
Michael
Thanks so much, Michael!
And Happy Birthday to you Thomas! We look forward to many more years of your great blog and of service to the Shortwave community and radio world in general!
Cheers, Mate!
Aw shucks! 🙂 Thank you so much, Robert. This is all such a labor of love and the community here makes it all worth while. I’m looking forward to a birthday today with some radio fun!
Cheers,
Thomas