Category Archives: International Broadcasting

One of my favorite broadcasters, Radio Australia, is facing severe cuts as the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s international broadcasting budget of $35 million is being cut in more than half.

Below, I’ve copied excerpts from two news sources with links.

I will post updates with the tag: RA Cuts

(Source: The Australian via Richard Cuff)

THE ABC will confirm a wave of job cuts today, with Radio Australia’s services the first major victim.

A management proposal for a new “converged service” for its international broadcasting outlets will be outlined to staff today as the ABC rearranges its overseas obligations after the axing of the Australia Network television service.

(Source: International Business Times)

It is a sad day for the mainstream radio industry in Australia on Monday, July 14, as Radio Australia anticipates major job cuts. However, this fact-of-life among employees of being axed during hard times could be an opportunity for broadcasters to try new platforms to continue with their careers.

The job cuts at Australia Network television service is part of its management’s proposal for a new converged services for the network’s international broadcasting outlets.

Speculations on the jobs to be shed has created fear among Radio Australia workers and Australia Network as the employees anticipate a number of its services within the region abandoned with the planned reduction of the public broadcaster’s $35 million yearly budget for international broadcasting to shrink to just $15 million.

To worsen matter for the affected radio staff, the job cuts would be on top of redundancies at Australia Network and shutter of the transmission in September after finishing only one year of its 10-year agreement with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Also expected to get the axe are Radio Australia’s language service, while ABC News 24 will remain the foundation of the international service with some specialised news and current affairs content on the service.

[Continue reading at the International Business Times website.]

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China Radio International warbling on Dave’s home brew receiver

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My buddy and SWLing Post reader, Dave Richards (AA7EE), wrote several weeks ago with an interesting comment:

“I was just now tuning around the 31M band on a [regenerative receiver] that I am putting the finishing touches on, and noticed that the audio from China Radio International on 9790KHz was not only cutting in and out, but was also warbling, as if the program was being played from a tape machine with a slipping pinch wheel.

I’m finding it a bit hard to believe that in this day and age, a country like China would be using tape machines in their studios still, but am trying to figure out what other explanation there could be for this. The warbling doesn’t sound as if it is being caused by the propagation. Have you heard this before?

I have attached a short recording. Please excuse the bassy audio – I need to modify the receiver circuit to provide some bass roll-off.”

Click here for Dave’s recording or listen below:

I agree with Dave; it sounds like CRI is playing from a tape deck with a slipping pinch wheel. I’m not sure this could be a modulation issue. Perhaps it’s both? Curious what other readers think.

Warble aside, I was also very intrigued by Dave’s home brew 31 meter broadcast band regenerative receiver. I asked him for more details; he replied:

“I built another version of the WBR. The original version, as well as the first version I built, was for the 40M amateur band. I was intrigued to see how it would perform on other frequencies, so I built a version for the 31M band. The only change I need to make now is a bit of filtering to provide some rolloff of the bass frequencies, as they are hurting the intelligibility in my opinion.”

Wow! What a cool little home brew project! And many thanks to Dave for the brilliant photos of the WBR. I should mention that Dave has an excellent ham radio blog where he documents his radio projects. Indeed, check out this page for more information about the WBR broadcast band receiver.

Dave told me that he is currently working towards his goal of designing and building the “ultimate” regenerative receiver with plug-in coils for many different bands. I’ll be following him, so I encourage you to do the same by bookmarking his website.

Many thanks, Dave!

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RNZI: Peter Fry says goodbye to Saturday Nights

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Peter Fry, host of Radio New Zealand National’s music request program, Saturday Night, said goodbye last night after fifteen years on the air. Many SWLing Post readers have written about their love of the program, having heard Fry’s voice over the shortwaves through Radio New Zealand International’s relay.

This morning, I received the following message from SWLing Post reader, Frank:

“I caught [Fry’s final Saturday Night broadcast] on my [Tecsun PL-660] while on watch last night.

For the last 2 months I have been ‘on passage’ from Antofagasta, Chile to Auckland on my wee boat and last night, having left Bora Bora 5 days ago bound Tonga, we were sailing through the ‘southern Cooks’.

Listened to his last program while sailing into the setting moon on a balmy tropical night right down to the last ‘goodbyeeee’.
To me its what SWLing is all about.”

He continues:

“Beats listening to the footy on RA. Beats DXing in Tristan da Cunha as well….”

I must admit, I agree, Frank. I would certainly love to be in your place: on the open water, listening to distant stations…Thanks for sharing, and safe travels to you and your crew.

And fans of the show, fear not. Though we will miss Peter, and are grateful for his years on the show. Saturday Night will continue with a new host, and I’m willing to bet that it’ll still be a treat to hear.

If you missed hearing Saturday Night, yesterday, check out the audio files below, which cover the entire final broadcast:

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NY Times: Journalists “at Odds With Union” over VOA’s role

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The New York Times, in a recent article, describes a growing split between the VOA Union (American Federation of Government Employees Local 1812) and VOA journalists over the proposed changes to the VOA mission (via H.R. 4490), which would make it an active voice of American policy. (Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Marty, for sharing this relevant article).

Below is an excerpt from The Times; click here for the full article:

WASHINGTON — Voice of America journalists who are fighting to maintain what they say is their editorial independence are now at odds not only with Congress, but also with their own union.

The union, the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1812, recently endorsed a bill that would change language in the charter for the 72-year-old news agency and require it to actively support American policy. That came as a surprise to some Voice of America employees, who said the legislation would make them mouthpieces for government policy. They want the union to withdraw its letter of support.

“A lot of us would welcome change and reform, but not at the cost of undermining V.O.A.’s journalistic credibility,” said Jim Malone, a senior national correspondent at the government-financed news agency who is not a member of the union.

In its letter, union leaders said the agency’s managers had lost sight of their mission and were trying to turn the “V.O.A. into something they envisioned as a global variant of CNN.”

“In the end, some of the currently entrenched senior management represent a far greater threat to V.O.A.’s journalistic independence, indeed to the very existence of the V.O.A.,” the union wrote.

The danger, said the union’s president, Tim Shamble, is that the government could withdraw its financial support if the agency continued its current course. The federation represents about 40 percent of all Voice of America workers and 11 percent of the journalists in the central news division.

Continue reading…

For other posts about this topic, please follow the tag: HR4490

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Shortwave Radio Recordings: Radio Romania International

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For your listening pleasure: Radio Romania International‘s English language service.

I recorded this broadcast with the WinRadio Excalibur on July 2, 2014, starting at 00:00 UTC on 9,700 kHz.

This broadcast originates from RRI‘s Tiganesti transmitter site.

Click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below:

Click here to view other posts mentioning Radio Romania International.

If you love shortwave radio recordings, please visit our Shortwave Radio Audio Archive which contains hundreds of archived recordings. You can subscribe to the SRAA on iTunes.

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Amendment to H.R. 4490 protects “critical” shortwave services

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

In response to yesterday’s post regarding sweeping cuts to VOA’s shortwave service, an SWLing Post reader (who wishes to remain anonymous) writes:

“HR4490 contains the following amendment attached to the bill by Cong Lowenthal of CA. Cong Lowenthal has the largest Cambodian community in the US in his constituency as well as Vietnamese.

This is the amendment to HR4490 which was approved unanimously by the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

The Amendment to HR 4490 reads:

“Shortwave broadcasting has been an important method of communication that should be utilized in regions as a component of United States international broadcasting where a critical need for the platform exists.”