Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who shares the following note from Alan Pennington via the WoR io group:
BBC Antarctic Midwinter broadcast – June 21 frequencies confirmed
From: Alan Pennington
Thanks to Dave Passey at Woofferton who has just confirmed to me the frequencies for the BBC Antarctic Midwinter broadcast tomorrow, Tuesday 21st June, at 2130-2200 UTC:
“Following the test transmissions, the 6035kHz from DHA has been closed out, leaving just the three:
7305 ASC
9505 WOF
12065 WOF
You are correct that there will only be one transmission on Shortwave at 2130UTC. “
(in the UK, the programme is also on BBC WS on DAB at 2130 UTC, 2230 BST. This is probably a slightly shorter edition though: 2132-2200, so best to listen on shortwave!)
This from BBC’s Media site:
The BBC’s unique annual broadcast to Antarctica, featuring music and messages.
The Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast is unlike anything else on the BBC World Service. Every year, we make this special programme for just 32 listeners: the team of scientists and support staff isolated at British research stations in the Antarctic midwinter.
Presented by Cerys Matthews, the programme features messages from family and friends at home as well as music requests from Antarctica. For decades it has been part of the traditional midwinter celebrations.
For the staff living at three British Antarctic Survey research stations (Rothera, Bird Island and South Georgia), and at other national bases across the frozen continent, midwinter is a special time. With no sunlight, Antarctica is at its coldest and those stationed on the frozen continent face months of total isolation.
Midwinter celebrations at the British research stations include a feast, exchange of presents, watching the 1982 horror film The Thing (where an alien monster terrorises an Antarctic base) and listening to the BBC’s Midwinter Broadcast.
As ever, this year’s programme includes recorded messages from family and friends of the winterers, music requests from the personnel in Antarctica, and appearances from special guests.
A Boffin Media production produced by Martin Redfern for the BBC World Service
https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/proginfo/2022/25/antarctic-midwinter-broadcast
73, Alan Pennington
Many thanks for sharing this, Richard!
We will once again ask that listeners across the globe share their recordings here on the SWLing Post. We will post details in a separate post!
Very strong signal on KiwiSDr on 7.305 from a receiver in the Canary Islands!!
Disappointed I’m at work during the only transmission.
today´s update coming from BAS:
https://www.bas.ac.uk/media-post/midwinter-day-2022-in-antarctica/
I’ll be listening. A few years ago Bob K4UEE did a ham radio expedition to South Georgia. The team assembled at a place called Bryce Norton , flew on a RAF plane to the Falklands stopping to refuel at Ascension Island. At Falklands they boarded the Braveheart for voyage to South Georgia. The island was a whaling station . The island still has underwater storm cables and a diver from the radio team went to help a Russian ship free its anchor from one of the cables. Are those chinstrap penguins?
In the meantime you can listen to last year´s edition of the program:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02tp3b6
Cannot wait to listen to this!