Monthly Archives: January 2026

We do love imaginary stations and Ohio!

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Greetings all SWLing Post community, Imaginary Stations bring you WLIS (We Love Imaginary Stations 2) through the ether this week via shortwaveradio.de on Saturday 25th January 2026 at 1200 hrs UTC. Then there’s the second transmission on Sunday 26th January 2026 at 1000/1400 hrs UTC on 3975 kHz and 6160 kHz and (the new time of) 2100 UTC on 3975 kHz.

As the first programme a couple of weeks ago, the show is a homage to imaginary, fictitious or fabricated radio stations that have appeared in films, books and music. Use your shortwave radio or an online SDR to tune into radio stations that may or may not exist. It’s going to be an interesting show so tune in!

And on Wednesday 28th January 2026 at 0300 UTC on 9395 kHz via WRMI we bring you OHIO. We’re talking about songs about Ohio. Could Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young be in there? Randy Newman? And REM? Who knows, you have to tune in and find out, but it will be a great show no matter what.

For more information on all our shows, please write to us at [email protected] and check out our old shows at our Mixcloud page here.

FastRadioBurst23

February 2026 Schedule Updates: From the Isle of Music & Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bill Tilford, who shares the following update:

From the Isle of Music February 2026

We are going to go “retro” this month and feature some lesser known but excellent Cuban fusion and dance bands from the 1970s and 1980s. Some listeners who only know the North American narrative about Cuban music  will be surprised at what was being recorded, performed and broadcast then.
Friday, February 13, 2026,  3955 kHz, 1800 CET (1700 UTC), repeat 2300 CET (2200 UTC)

Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot February 2026

We are going to feature folk/folkloric music from Denmark.  Expect a surprise or three. Note that the hours are slightly different than for FTIOM.
Friday February 20, 2026, :3955 kHz, 1700 CET (1600 UTC), repeat 2300 CET (2200 UTC)

Be advised that in January, our programs started several minutes late during the first transmission, but they did then air in full.  Hopefully that won’t recur in February, but if it does, don’t touch that dial!

Our eQSL policy includes recognizing reports from remote SDRs as long as the entire program is reported and the location of both the remote SDR and the listener are included.  Shorter reports will get a short note of thanks instead.

How Removing AM and FM from Cars Impacts the 12-Volt Ecosystem

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Photo by Brock Wegner on Unsplash

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Dennis Dura, who shares this CE Outlook article examining the trend of major automakers removing AM/FM radios from new vehicles and what it means for the 12-volt ecosystem. With AM/FM being increasingly omitted in favor of digital monthly subscriptions and mobile-connected audio services, this article explores the implications for listeners, aftermarket options, and the broader impact on radio accessibility in cars. Read more here: https://www.ceoutlook.com/2026/01/15/car-makers-remove-am-fm-what-it-means-for-12-volt/

Carlos’ Illustrated Radio Listening Report and Recording of Radio Exterior de España (January 19, 2026)

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and noted political cartoonist, Carlos Latuff, who shares the following illustrated radio listening report of a recent Radio Exterior de España broadcast.

Carlos notes:

The death toll from the train collision in Spain has reached 40, Radio Exterior de España, 17715 kHz

Click here to view on YouTube.

BBC Sunday Feature: Leo Sarkisian, The Music Man for Africa

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Many thanks to SWLing Post friend and contributor David Goren, who produced this wonderful BBC Sunday Feature documentary, The Music Man for Africa.

The program explores the remarkable life of Leo Sarkisian, the legendary Voice of America broadcaster who spent decades traveling across Africa (and beyond) with a massive tape recorder, documenting traditional music and sharing it with the world through Music Time in Africa.

You can listen via the BBC here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002przx

If the BBC is geofenced in your part of the world, you can also listen via SoundCloud here (note that it may require a SoundCloud free account to listen):

VOA Funds Included in Spending Bill

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View of the Capitol Building from the roof of the Voice of America on 330 Independence Ave., S.W.

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Dennis Dura, who shares this Radio World report on a proposed U.S. congressional spending bill that would include continued funding for the Voice of America and its parent agency, the U.S. Agency for Global Media. The bipartisan proposal would allocate roughly $653 million to support VOA’s international broadcasting mission and related services, signaling congressional backing for global news and information distribution even as the bill still must clear final approval: https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/business-and-law/proposed-congress-spending-bill-includes-voa-funding

RTI: One-Hour English Broadcast from Taiwanese Students to Norway

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Paul Jamet, who shares the following tip: 

Dear Thomas,

This morning I received a message from Meg Wang, Head of the French Service at Radio Taiwan International. Although this message is intended for listeners of RTI’s French and German services, I think it may be of interest to all DXers, especially English-speaking DXers:

Dear listener,

As part of an exchange between Yilan Senior High School and the municipality of Vardø in northeastern Norway, RTI is going to broadcast a one-hour program in English produced by Taiwanese high school students for listeners in Vardo. Tune in to 15150 kHz to listen to this shortwave program on January 22, from 08:00 to 09:00 UTC, which corresponds to 09:00 to 10:00 local time in Norway.

The transmission will be broadcast from the Tamsui transmitter site in northern Taiwan, on 15150 kHz, with a power of 300 kW and a beam heading of 325 degrees.

RTI invites listeners of the French and German services to send us an audio recording of the program as received at your location, which we will pass on to the Yilan students.

For every recording sent, you will receive a mobile phone shoulder strap and a pad of sticky notes featuring the Formosan blue magpie, along with the RTI logo.

Thank you for sharing this information around you.

Thank you in advance!

RTI French Service.

RTI’s English service is expected to publish an announcement on its Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RadioTaiwanInternational/

Have a nice day. Best regards.

Paul JAMET