For your listening pleasure: three hours of Radio New Zealand International.
This broadcast was recorded on 9,700 kHz, starting at 07:59 UTC on April 5, 2014. This weekend RNZI broadcast includes Peter Fry’s Saturday Night music request show–always a treat to hear.
Click here to download this recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below. Of course, you will automatically receive this recording if you are subscribed to the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive.
The MV Mi Amigo, c. 1974, which had been used as the home of Radio Caroline South from 1964-1967 (Photo: Albertoke from NL)
I wish my schedule and travel funds would have allowed me to attend Offshore Radio Day 2014, held in the Netherlands last week. Fortunately for those of us who couldn’t attend, Jonathan Marks posted an excellent set of photos and commentary from the event.
Of course, Radio Caroline dominated the show–after all, she turned 50 this year. Yesterday morning, I noticed an article from ITV, whose first paragraph sums up the impact of the offshore radio movement created by Radio Caroline:
“Precisely 50 years ago this Friday, test transmissions began for a radio station that would help to change the face of broadcasting across the UK. It would shape the laws of our land, and make superstars of the people on air. That radio station was Caroline – an unlicensed, “pirate” broadcaster, transmitting from a ship anchored just outside British waters.”
If you’ve been an SWLing Post reader for long, you’ll know how much I dig pirate radio. Not only are pirate stations great fun to hunt down and listen to on the radio, but these stations are still movers, shakers, and innovators in a world where large media conglomerates buy up and attempt to control local radio markets. Pirates prevent the homogenization of our radio landscape, with offerings of genuine musical diversity. Indeed, I’d wager that I’ve purchased over a dozen highly varied songs and/or albums on iTunes and Amazon, truly unique music, all brought to my attention by shortwave pirates.
So raise your glass to Radio Caroline this week! Long may she sail. If you’d like to learn a little more about RC‘s history, check out some of these links:
Many thanks to Mark for sharing this bit of radio history from the CBC Digital Archives:
“In February 1945, the “Voice of Canada” spoke to the world for the first time. The CBC International Service was founded to broadcast to Canadian Forces overseas in the Second World War. At war’s end the radio service focused on telling the world about Canada in over a dozen languages. Despite budget cuts and critics who accused it of employing communists or operating as a government mouthpiece, the service now called Radio Canada International has persevered. CBC Archives looks back on RCI’s six decades on shortwave.”
Based on this recording, I believe RCI used the same version of O Canada until their very last days as a shortwave broadcaster.
Click here to listen to the clip on the CBC Digital Archives site.
Greg Shoom, a new contributor to the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive, has just submitted a 1976-1977 off air recording which includes:
Click here to listen to this recording on the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive.
Remember, you can subscribe and download the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive collection (free!) as a podcast via iTunes or the SWAA RSS feed.
Many thanks to Greg Shoom for sharing this excellent recording!
While looking through a number of photos Flickr user vency1 posted, I noticed an interesting story behind his trusty Panasonic RF-2200. He describes his radio thus:
“A very good performing receiver. I’ve had great listening adventures with this on AM and shortwave. This once served as an RDF (radio direction finder) on a speedboat to find our way home in heavy rainstorm in the middle of the sea with zero visibility. A station located in the hometown was tuned in and we steered the boat in the direction of the strongest signal. The RF gain was set so that the slightest signal fluctuation would show on the meter. At home, the sound on FM is very good when connected to a high-fidelity speaker system.”
What better user review of a radio could one give? I mean, it guided him home during a storm at sea? Brilliant! Too bad they no longer make the RF-2200. Fortunately they do show up on eBay regularly–click here to search.
A question for my buddy, Jeff, over at the Herculodge: Does a radio get more manly than this?
Yesterday, I posted off air recordings of WRNO Worldwide from 1983. Jonathan Marks then sent me a link to an interview he recorded in 1991 when WRNO founder, Joseph Costello, visited Radio Netherlands Worldwide in Hilversum.
Click here to visit the Media Network Vintage Vault and listen online.
Many thanks, Jonathan for sharing!
I’ve now added a total of five recordings by David Firth, circa 1968, to the SW Radio Audio Archive. Click below for direct links:
Note that you can subscribe to the SW Radio Audio Archive as a podcast via iTunes or by using the following RSS feed: http://shortwavearchive.com/archive?format=rss