Category Archives: Nostalgia

1945: Radio Canada International’s first broadcast

RadioListeningMany 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.

1976 recording of RNW added to the Shotwave Radio Audio Archive

IMG_0135Greg Shoom, a new contributor to the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive, has just submitted a 1976-1977 off air recording which includes:

  • The Happy Station Show hosted by Tom Meijer (Christmas 1976 edition),
  • an unidentified program called “Why Join a DX Club
  • and several longwave radio beacons.

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!

This Panasonic RF-2200 will help you weather a storm

(Photo: vency1 on flickr)

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?

Readers, check out more of Vency1’s radio photos on Flickr.

Interview with Joseph Mark Costello III of WRNO

wrnologoYesterday, 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!

 

More 1968 recordings on the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive

IMG_0135I’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

Eight new recordings in the Media Network Vintage Vault

RNW headquarters in Hilversum, Netherlands (photo coutesty: RNW)

RNW’s former headquarters in Hilversum, Netherlands (photo: RNW)

Jonthan Marks has just informed me that he’s added new studio recordings  to the Media Network Vintage Vault.

They include:

Jonathan comments, “I think you might like the Radio New Zealand stuff. Sounds like it was recorded yesterday.”

The New Zealand Bellbird (Anthornis melanura) provides the interval signal for RNZI (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

The New Zealand Bellbird (Anthornis melanura) provides the interval signal for RNZI (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Indeed it does!

To top it off, I’m still amazed RNZI is still on the air and pumping out an amazing signal into North America. Click here for a recording made only one week ago.

Having never heard a New Zealand Bellbird live, I was most impressed to hear how RNZI (in the 1950s!) modified the Bellbird’s call for the distinctive RNZI interval signal. Don’t want to give it away, though, listen for yourself.