Category Archives: Broadcasters

Update: Cold War Clandestine Radio from Greece

Saturday, I published a post referencing Cold War Clandestine Radio from Greece with links to Richard Cummings’ excellent website Cold War Radio Vignettes.

My post was written some time earlier and scheduled to publish Saturday while I was traveling. Unfortunately, the Cold War Radio Vignettes articles I had linked to were removed prior to Saturday.

I contacted Richard Cummings who has kindly assembled a small PDF booklet with the text from all of the posts I had referenced and is allowing me to share it here on the SWLing Post.

Richard asks that if any Post readers have information about these clandestine broadcasts and is willing to share it with him, he would me most thankful. His contact information is on the front page of the PDF.

Click here to download the PDF booklet.

Again, many thanks to Richard Cummings for making this free PDF booklet available to us!

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Cold War Clandestine Radio from Greece

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UPDATE: The links to Cold War Radio Radio Vignettes below became inactive just prior to publication. Richard Cummings has kindly assembled the texts I referenced and made a PDF booklet available for SWLing Post readers. Click here to download.

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Kim Elliott who (some time ago) shared a link to a series of posts by Richard Cummings from his website, Cold War Radio Vignettes.

Cummings is the author of Cold War Radio: The Dangerous History of American Broadcasting in Europe, 1950-1989 and Radio Free Europe’s “Crusade for Freedom” Rallying Americans Behind Cold War Broadcasting, 1950-1960.

Cumming’s blog is updated frequently and features many fascinating historical “vignettes” regarding Cold War radio broadcasting.

Kim specifically mentioned a series of posts with a focus on Cold War American broadcasting from Greece, suggesting SWLing Post readers might enjoy this bit of Cold War history. I completely agree!

Below, I’ve linked to a total of six posts Cummings published on the topic. Enjoy:

Cold War American Clandestine Radio Broadcasting over the Iron Curtain from Greece

Cold War American Clandestine Radio Broadcasting over the Iron Curtain from Greece, to Ukraine

Cold War American Clandestine Radio Broadcasting over the Iron Curtain from Greece: “Future of Romania — Voice of National Resistance”

Cold War American Clandestine Radio Broadcasting over the Iron Curtain from Greece: Nasha Rossiya (Our Russia)

Want more?

If you enjoy Cold War radio history, I strongly recommend that you bookmark Cold War Radio Vignettes. I’m placing a permanent link in our sidebar.

Thanks again for the tip, Kim!

UPDATE: It appears the posts have been removed from the Cold War Radio Vignettes site. I will contact the owner and see if they can be re-posted.

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North Korean numbers station in the press

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I’ve been offline and off-grid this week and have accumulated quite the backlog of email.

One news item that caught the attention of a large number of readers (thanks to all for the tips–!) was North Korean spy numbers. I’m very curious if any readers have logged and recorded this station–if so, please comment and consider sharing your recording!

The news was featured on at least two prominent news sites:

(Source: The Guardian)

North Korea’s radio broadcast of string of mysterious numbers is possible code

Numbers read on state radio may be cold war-era method of sending coded messages to spies in South Korea – or an attempt to wage psychological warfare

North Korea’s state radio has recently broadcast strings of indecipherable numbers, according to officials in Seoul, in a possible resumption of a cold war-era method of sending coded messages to spies operating in South Korea.

A female announcer at the radio station read numbers for two minutes on 24 June and 14 minutes on Friday, according to Seoul’s unification ministry and national intelligence service (NIS). A copy of those comments provided by the ministry included phrases such as “No 35 on Page 459” and “No 55 on Page 913”.[…]

(Source: BBC)

North Korea is criticised by South Korea for ‘spy broadcasts’

South Korean officials have criticised North Korea after it apparently resurrected a Cold War-era method of contacting spies.

In recent weeks, mysterious strings of numbers have twice been broadcast over the radio from the North.

A spokesman for the South’s Unification Ministry said it couldn’t be sure about North Korea’s “hidden intentions”.

But it urged the North to “desist from such outdated practices”.[…]

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DZRP Radyo Pilipinas: advice on obtaining a QSL

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I thought this little tidbit or two of information might be useful to those DX’ers seeking a QSL from DZRP Radyo Pilipinas.

DZRP broadcast in English and Filipino on several frequencies, as seen here: http://shortwaveschedule.com/index.php?station=1089

I found two email addresses listed for them, [email protected] and [email protected] which I’ve sent reception reports too, but I can’t say either of the two QSL’s I’ve gotten from them came because of the email address. What worked?

Contacting them on Facebook!

It took a few days, but sending the reception report to them via private/inbox message on Facebook got a reply with a promise of a QSL card each time!

Find them on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/DZRPRadyoPilipinas/

While writing this post, I found a third email address, [email protected], which I didn’t know about before. Radyo Pilipinas posted this one on their Facebook page in reply to a DX’er asking about reception reports and QSL cards.

Paul Walker is located in Galena, Alaska and is a regular contributor to the SWLing Post. Be sure to check out Paul’s YouTube channel and SoundCloud channel where everything he logs is recorded and posted. Click here to read his other contributions on the SWLing Post.

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Searchable archive of RFE/Radio Liberty broadcasts to USSR 1953-1995

Radio Northern Ireland this weekend!

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jordan Heyburn, who writes:

Radio Northern Ireland is going to be broadcasting to Asia and we hope that the propagation gods will be on our side and take us to Australia and New Zealand. Radio Northern Ireland will be broadcasting via the Shortwave Service in Armenia on Saturday 9th July at 2300 UTC on 17490khz. The show which is being beamed out towards Asia and Australia is a special pre recorded show just for this relay with SSTV at the end of the show in Scottie 2 mode! Have your decoders ready for this!

If you get a reception then why not send us a reception report to [email protected], if you have the correct reception you will be in receipt of a shiny new Radio Northern Ireland QSL. A donation of $2 is preferred to cover postage and this can be sent through paypal to the same email address.

If you wish to hear us on Shortwave at any time we can be found on multiple frequencies which are listed below.

Shortwave Service via Germany – 6005khz 1900 UTC (Saturday)
WRMI – 15770khz 2100 UTC (Saturday)
WRMI – 11580khz 0130 UTC (Sunday)
WRMI – 9955khz 0130 UTC (Monday)

I hope you enjoy the show and let us know where in the world you are listening from!

Best Regards,

Jordan Heyburn

Thanks for the heads-up, Jordan! We’ll be listening!

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