Author Archives: Bill Tilford

About Bill Tilford

Bill has been a shortwave listener since the 1960s, a program host and producer for the past several years, and he currently produces and hosts From the Isle of Music, Uncle Bill's Melting Pot and WBCQ Concert Hall in addition to curating the Radio Angela block of entertainment programs on that station and periodic collaborative specials with other stations. He also writes about Cuban music including on the website TIMBA.com and is active in the music industry as a producer and liner notes writer.

Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot, Episode 2 on WBCQ 7490


Uncle Bill sez……….

Episode 2 of Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot, a musical variety program that features genres from A-Z,will air on WBCQ the Planet, 7490 KHz, Friday, March 10 from 0000-0030 UTC (Thursday March 9, 7:00-7:30pm EST in the Americas). Brought to you by Tilford Productions, which also brings you From the Isle of Music. (We aren’t showing on the WBCQ website yet, but we’ll be on the air.)
Check us out, and let us know what you think!
Episode 2 will acknowledge the 100th anniversary of the first commercially-released Jazz record (and the first copyright lawsuit regarding a commercially released Jazz record), there will also be some Cambodian style rock and other odds and ends.

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From the Isle of Music, week of March 6-11

This week, some concert music selections from the vast repertoire of composer and pianist José María Vitier and a tribute to the late, great trombonist and bandleader extraordinaire and exceptional producer Juan Pablo Torres.
WBCQ, 7490 KHz, Tuesdays 0100-0200 UTC (8pm-9pm EST Mondays in the Americas)
Channel 292, 6070 KHz, Fridays 1100-1200 UTC (1200-1300 CET) and Saturdays 1200-1300 UTC (1300-1400 CET)
See the From the Isle of Music Facebook page for more information.

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New Program From Tilford Productions Invades the Airwaves…

Tilford Productions, which brings you From the Isle of Music, is launching a second program, Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot, a half-hour musical variety program on WBCQ 7490 KHz perhaps best described as indescribable, or as host Bill Tilford states, “from the ridiculously sublime to the sublimely ridiculous with genres from A-Z”.
The inaugural broadcast is Friday, March 3,  0000-0030 World Date/UTC
(Thursday, March 2, 7:00pm-7:30pm EST in North America)

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From the Isle of Music, Week of February 27- March 4, 2017

From the Isle of Music, Week of February 27- March 4, 2017
This week, our special guest tresero Pancho Amat shares music from his extensive career, and we listen to some excellent Sones composed by Lazaro Blanco Kindelan
WBCQ, 7490 KHz, Tuesdays 0100-0200 UTC (8pm-9pm EST Mondays in the Americas)
Channel 292, 6070 KHz, Fridays 1100-1200 UTC (1200-1300 CET) and Saturdays 1200-1300 UTC (1300-1400 CET)

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Special Test Broadcast of FTIOM on Spaceline

On Sunday, February 26 at 1500-1600 UTC, Spaceline will be doing a test transmission on 9400 KHz  from Kostinbrod, Bulgaria using an episode of From the Isle of Music,   a program dedicated to the music of Cuba which is heard weekly on WBCQ and Channel 292.    This transmission will be aimed primarily at Russia and Ukraine but may be audible in other areas.    (From the Isle of Music will continue on WBCQ and Channel 292 for their target areas regardless of the results of this and a subsequent test. )
If you monitor this broadcast, reception reports can be sent to
1.  Spaceline at   [email protected]
2.  From the Isle of Music at  [email protected]

From the Isle of Music in particular would be grateful for any reception reports from the test, especially from the Balkans, Ukraine, Russia, Turkey etc,  and will respond with an eQSL.

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Coming Soon to WBCQ 7490: Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot


Bill Tilford, who currently brings us From the Isle of Music on WBCQ and Channel 292, is launching a second program, Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot, a half hour music variety program, on March 2 on WBCQ, 7490 Khz.  It will be a combination of Americana, World Music, Comedy, Novelty,  and Bill  threatens that it will  be one of the most musically eclectic programs on any band along with a few laughs here and there.

WBCQ pegs its long term schedule to EST/EDT and translates to UTC.   UBMP will air 7:00-7:30pm EST/EDT Thursdays (for the first couple of weeks, 0000-0030 UTC Fridays, then 2300-2330 Thursdays).

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From the Isle of Music, Week of February 20-25, 2017


From the Isle of Music, Week of February 20-25, 2017
This week, special guest Julio Montoro shares the music of Alma Latina; some music from one of Cuba’s first JoJazz competition winners, Carlos Sarduy, and the Timba of Pedro Pablo & La Rebambaramba.
WBCQ, 7490 KHz, Tuesdays 0100-0200 UTC (8pm-9pm EST Mondays in the Americas)
Channel 292, 6070 KHz, Fridays 1100-1200 UTC (1200-1300 CET) and Saturdays 1200-1300 UTC (1300-1400 CET)

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