Tuning controls on one of the 500 kW Continental Electronics transmitters at the Edward R. Murrow Transmitting Site. Click to enlarge.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Dan Greenall, who shares the following recordings and writes:
Hi Thomas
As a result of recent actions by the Trump administration, a number of shortwave stations have recently gone silent. Whether or not this will change is anybody’s guess, but the situation is currently looking grim.
I am providing links to some recordings that I have recently uploaded to the Internet Archive of a few of the affected stations. These recordings were made through the use of remote SDR’s in order to provide optimal quality. I used to particularly enjoy the programs of Radyo Pilipinas and Radio Thailand world service. Have a listen here to potential radio history.
Radio Marti February 15, 2025 in Spanish:
Audio PlayerVoice of America (Africa) via Botswana transmitter January 19, 2025:
Audio PlayerRadyo Pilipinas via VOA Tinang Philippines December 10, 2024:
Audio PlayerRadio Thailand via Udon Thani December 17 and 23, 2024:
Audio Player Audio Player
I have observed that the Spanish language service of Radio Marti (on 6030, 7355, 7435 kHz received in Europe at early local mornings) ended its transmission at the same time when VOA and R. Free Europe/Asia was closed.
I have also noted the end of Radio Thailand’s broadcasts. I didn’t know that it was not sponsored by Thailand itself… Well, I was listening to it many times in recent years. It was some kind of voice of the Democratic Party from the USA, because it was an anti-Trump broadcast. And not only. It reported related the Ukrainian war about Ukrainian victories only, and about Russia killing innocent civilian victims in Ukraine, while Ukraine hitting only military targets in Russia.
It’s not mentioned above but Radio Farda also disappeared on 5860 kHz – it was a Persion language transmission to Iran.
The only thing I know about Radio Thailand is it’s the official international broadcaster of the Thai government. Most of the programming is aimed to countries within Asia. They were leasing the VOA transmitters at Udon Thailand. When VOA shutdown, so did the transmitters. My guess is they will lease another international broadcaster’s transmitters.
Yes, it was for both VOA and AFRTS SW. In addition to the Dixon relay, AFRTS also used the VOA Philippine relay station. Dixon and Delano were deactivated when Satellite became the more prominent mode to send programing to relay stations.. Of course AFRTS no longer uses SW. As far as MW, VOA had a couple of 1000kw stations. I think one was at Hue, South Vietnam (att). Another one at Bangkok, Thailand. I think there was one more at The VOA Okinawa relay. Regards
Even before Trump 2025 swl-ing seemed a fraction of circa 1950. Today, there are loads of HF spectrum for amateur radio and wide open spaces of HF. Seems the only short wave available is the several religious stations.
VOA broadcasts were special during the cold war but seemed to lose steam after Gorbechev kicked down the wall.
Trump and DOGE are going after all the boondoggles and honey pots that have been draining the public for decades and US shortwave transmitters and programming may disappear altogether, sorry to say.
The reality of high power shortwave stations is they are expensive. The religious stations sell airtime just like TBN. You get a time slot in proportion to your payment regardless of content. VOA sites could do the same plus sell advertising. Put the sites up for sale to do just that. Conservative content here, liberal content there, old timey radio shows and soaps in between. They/we will listen if someone does it! Even international talk shows with 800 numbers!
73
Karl
KI4ZUQ @ EM55jk
Well said, and 100% of the truth. Me, I miss RCI and Stuart McClain. The vinyl cafe was always a treat.
I’ll miss Heather Maxwell’s Music Time in Africa. That’s about it.
And from my early days in SW, I’m grateful for the News in Special English.
As for the “other” stations they produced, good riddance.
The only downside are the stations, such as Radio Pilipinas and Radio Thailand, for their loss of transmitting facilities.
I guess the only way other countries will get their views of the US in the future are through Radio Moscow (as a kid I sent in several SWL reports and our mailman asked my parents why we were getting mail from a communist country) and China News Radio. I guess we are really becoming an isolationist country.
“I guess the only way other countries will get their views of the US in the future are through Radio Moscow”
Can’t speak for them, but China Radio Int’l (CRI) seems to be the one you’re thinking of: they’ve doubled and even tripled down on SW, both outgoing and jammers for incoming. Ditto Cuba but hard to say if it’s more just for keeping the numbers channels operating.
I appreciate OP’s recordings. Whether VOA, RFA or other’s return, I can say I experienced VOA during it’s peak years, 1967-1970. I lived on Guam during most of that period. I had my new Sony TR-1000 SW radio. I had Asian transmitters in close proximity. I had the Delano and Dixon California transmitters on the other side. I mean it was the best DXing anyone could ask for. The content was also the best during this period. Especially, Willis Conover’s VOA Jazz Hour and the VOA breakfast show. But it was all good. Today VOA is a shell of it’s former self. It’s true what they say, nothing ever stays the same. VOA is no exception. I’ll always remember those days with great fondness.
Was Dixon a VOA relay site? I remember it for AFRTS when that service was still AM. I live in Dixon now, and I want to get as much info as I can about the site. It’s all Navy these days.
Hello. I am sending another reply. I think the last one was sent in space. Yes, the Dixon transmitter station was one of three US transmitter stations used to beam VOA broadcasts to Oceania and Asia. The Dixon station had 50kw-250kw SW transmitters. The transmitters were simultaneously used to beam AFRTS programming to the Pacific and Asia. VOA, I think inherited a couple of MW transmitters from the original construction of the Dixon Transmitter site. VOA leased the site from the original owners who were paid to build the site, by the US government. In the 1950s VOA took over ownership of the Dixon site. Regards