Radio Waves: Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio
Welcome to the SWLing Post’s Radio Waves, a collection of links to interesting stories making waves in the world of radio. Enjoy!
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributors Colin Newell and Paul Jamet for the following tips:
DXer.ca IRCA Reprint Search (Dxer.ca)
Many thanks to Colin Newell, who notes that you can now search 1,202 articles from IRCA’s DX Monitor (1966–2025) directly on a dedicated portion of the DXer.ca website.
2026 Listener’s Day on Radio Romania International (RRI)
On November 8, 2026 we celebrate Romanian Radio Day, which we mark every year on November 1. We look forward to celebrating Radio Romania International’s Listener’s Day.
In an increasingly polarized world, the differences between us may seem like barriers. However, beyond our beliefs or cultures, we are united by simple things: music, stories, travel or the desire to be heard. For an international radio station, dialogue in diversity is intrinsic to its mission, and RRI aims to be the space that brings people together every day.
For the 2026 edition of our special show, Listener’s Day on RRI, we are asking you:
What do you think unites us in a divided world? What are the experiences or values we share, regardless of where we live, and what helps us better understand each other?
We look forward to your answers to include them in our November special broadcast. They can be sent via email to [email protected] or via Facebook.
You can also send your recorded audio responses via WhatsApp at +40744312650, or you can send us your phone number and we will call you from the studio to record your audio message.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Paul notes: I’d like to add a suggestion regarding the role of international radio stations, which, through some of their programs, can foster greater mutual understanding.
AM Act Opponents Spend $6.3M In Q3 Hoping For Senate Stall (Radioink)
Automakers could not keep the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act from clearing the House, but their lobbying disclosures show the money still moving while the bill waits on a Senate calendar that holds no vote before the midterms, leaving broadcasters watching the clock.
Third quarter reports show organizations opposed to the bill spending about $6.3 million.
Toyota Motor North America reported about $1.7 million, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation about $1.5 million, Tesla $650,000, Honda $520,000, Volkswagen Group of America $420,000, and BMW of North America $230,000. Lucid USA reported $80,000 and Mazda $60,000.
While not directly representing the automotive industry, other organizations known to oppose pro-radio legislation, like the Consumer Technology Association and SoundExchange, spent $810,000 and $290,000, respectively.
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Legislating for AM in all new vehicles is ridiculous. AM has been broadcast for over 100 years.
Its replacement along with for FM is Digital Radio Mondiale (www. drm.org). There are 14 million Indian vehicles with DRM which was installed at not extra cost by the vehicle manufacturers.
A DRM receiver can cover all broadcast frequency bands from Medium Frequency, high frequency and the bands 1, 2 and 3 in the VHF bands.
The biggest advantage is the Emergency Warning Functionality. This allows receivers to go to sleep. If the receiver is within 7 x 7 km up to the whole world an administration can broadcast to those receivers with a warning with the rest of the audience still listening to their main programs.
There is also Journaline(R) which allows the transmission indexed of text for use before, during and after a disaster to minimise the effect on the population. Pictures can be included
You can also send instructions to the navigation system to guide vehicles away from the emergency.
In addition there is a controlled access mode where a broadcast transmitter can broadcast to an individual receiver or all receivers which is useful in areas where UHF transceivers cannot receive signals or in remote areas.
The latest receiver is the Mlite-880 which can now decode a signal in stereo in any band. Solar Grove is a small portable receiver which will receive xHE AAC but not in stereo at the moment.
Have a look at;
Unfortunately none of these examples are connected from the headphone output to the camera so that bass can be faithfully be reproduced.
https://youtu.be/-22ckWzb8-0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grbb9jU442c
https://solargrove.solutions/pdf/SGS%20-%20DRM%20-%20N88%20-%20UM%20-%20A4%20-%20Eng%20-%202026.09.22-1.0.0.pdf
Legislating for AM (or FM, for that matter) in new vehicles is anything but ridiculous. The owners of AM station have obtained their licenses for the government, paying considerable amounts of money for them, hence the request to ensure fair competition and equal access is completely reasonable. DRM broadcasters would probably do the same if there were any, but DRM is just a failed vaporware standard. The Indian example sums it pretty well. Millions of receivers, dozens of transmitters, yet no other station than the government-owned one expressed any interested in it. Over 300 private Indian stations continue to carry on as if nothing has happened, because in fact it’s just a “white elephant” project – not solving any real problem, not having any market interest and value.
Ignoring Alan’s DRM-dump : why should one completely private industry be forced by law to prop up another completely private industry?
I mean, it *might* be slightly different and justifiable if there were State-owned broadcasters or carmakers – but, as far as I know, in the USA there aren’t. So it just becomes an order for one industry to support another purely because of lobby group pressure or money changing hands…
I guess a bit “propping up completely a private industry” is needed so that you won’t become at mercy of another privately owned industry. As far as cars are considered, it’s quite clear that the manufacturers would like to impose lock-down of infotainment systems. Removing broadcast radio (be it AM or FM) is one side of this coin, another one is removing phone connectivity systems (such as what GM wants to do with CarPlay). So I think maintaining access to publicly owned air waves is ultimately worth pursuing. Yes, there is industry lobbying involved, but if it’s aimed at ensuring the customer has a wider choice, then why not? This is something we’re doing across the pond with DAB and, in case of some countries that don’t plan going digital, FM, both legally required to be included in cars.