Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Andrea Borgnino, who notes on Twitter that there’s a new “uncensored” shortwave program targeting Russia. Andrea links to this crowdfunding site which describes the initiative and asks for support:
We are going to broadcast an uncensored program in Russian for people in Russia. The technical possibilities have already been clarified.
The internet is becoming more and more restricted and sometimes at risk for the Russian people.
Right now, uncensored news in Russia is absolutely essential. We draw our motivation from these experiences and see it as a social responsibility to act. The programs will be broadcast on shortwave. Ir is possible to receive that programm with the simplest Radio and the listener is not exposed to the risk of being tracked.
Technically everything is ready for the start, and it could start immediately.
In addition we have some journalistic partners with us to create a daily program of around 60 minutes in length. The program will be broadcast twice a day. Everyone works for free and even the studios will not earn any fee. The only thing we have to pay is the powerful transmitter. every fund is welcome [sic]
It appears this crowdfunding campaign started a couple weeks ago. Chris Greenway added this helpful info on Twitter:
This new station is Radio Truth for Russia (Radio Pravda dlya Rossii). It is hiring airtime on SW transmitters in Germany & Austria:
-
- 0500 GMT on 9670 kHz (Mon/Wed/Fri)
- 1500 GMT on 13600 (Tue/Thu/Sat)
- 1900 GMT on 6070 & 9670 (Tue/Thu/Sat/Sun)
Times/freqs probably subject to change
Many thanks Andrea and Chris for the information.
Please note that none of us are involved in this initiative. It’s for this reason I can’t vouch for the information being broadcast; indeed, I don’t believe I even know the organizers. I’m simply sharing what we’ve learned about the initiative and schedule.
Please feel free to comment if you can provide further insight and background. Thank you!
Update: According to @Radio22_HF, this is the YouTUbe channel associated with this project. Perhaps the organizers of this project can comment with details.
Wow! Lithuania has just reactivated transmission site in Sitk?nai (closed in 2017) for relaying this station. 20-00 Lithuanian time, 1557 kHz.
Actually, we have more news here than only a new frequency.
This Radio Pravda aka Nasha Lenta broadcasting on 1557 kHz has different programming
than Radio Pravda dlya Rossii on shortwave.
The programmes of Nasha Lenta are compiled in the Netherlands while
Pravda dlya Rossii is based in Munich, Germany:
* https://mediumwave.info/2022/08/10/lithuania-24/
* https://nasha-germania.com/news/v-myunxene-ukrainskie-i-rossiiskie-zurnalisty-sozdali-radio-pravda-dlya-rossii-1657693617
I am surprised that the 50 kW mediumwave transmitter has got good audibility as far as Novosibirsk.
Anyone with a smartphone can use the Telegram app, which is not blocked in Russia and features news from the NY Times and BBC Russian:
http://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/16/world/europe/russian-propaganda-telegram-ukraine.html
Hello
Just a comment from “the organizers” of that program. We are a group of journalists (some from Russia and Ukraine by the way), technicians, Radio amateurs, lawyers etc. We started that project a couple of weeks ago, and we are on air since April the 9th.
And yes, I had contact to the“ Shortwaves for Freedom” Crew from the states as well, as I contacted and spoke to the friends from Stockholm. We do not work against each other! We want to complement each other. The more offer, the better. We are creating a few tomes per week, a complete new content (includes interview etc.) We all working for free, that means without earning money and at our spare time. The only thing we have to pay are the transmitters (even if they did a fair offer).
Any question welcome under:
[email protected]
The makers of Radio Pravda dlya Rossii know about the other group but think that they have different views of things. This is exactly what free press is about.
Renting a transmitter for an hour is not that expensive.
Did the organizers contact the Shortwaves for Freedom crew to talk about sharing resources? Competition isn’t always desirable, especially when there are limited funds.
The information above is correct. I got the same information directly from one of the organizers. He is one of the makers of Radio DARC, the weekly German ham radio magazine transmitted weekly over the same transmitters in Austria.