Category Archives: Program Spotlight

Switzerland In Sound comes with a familiar voice

The host of Switzerland in Sound, Bob Zanotti.

For any of you who listened to Swiss Radio International (SRI) on shortwave radio, you’ll no doubt know the name of long-time radio presenter Bob Zanotti. For me, his deep, rich voice was synonymous with SRI.

What you may not know is that Zanotti hosts his own website called Switzerland In Sound. It is chock-full of up-to-date Swiss information, news (Tina Turner became Swiss?), interviews, thoughts, musings and a wealth of vintage recordings from SRI.

If you were a fan of The Swiss Shortwave Merry-Go-Round, you’ll be pleased to discover the many recordings he has of The Two Bobs (Bob Zanotti and Bob Thomann).

Bob also manages a Facebook page for Switzerland in Sound. If you’re on Facebook, I encourage you to join his group.

Check out Switzerland In Sound:
http://www.switzerlandinsound.com

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VOA Radiograms Today (17 March 2013)

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(Source: VOA Radiogram)

The third airplay of VOA Radiogram is coming soon, at 1300 UTC, on 6095 kHz. Another, directed to Europe, will be at 1930 UTC on 15670 kHz.

Thanks to the many listeners throughout Europe, North America, and even in Asia, who have sent reports, audio, screenshots, spectrum displays, etc. After the last transmission today, I will summarize the results in this website.

WRMI, Radio Miami International, 9955 kHz, is transmitting IDs in the Olivia 8-1000 mode until 0400 UTC Monday (midnight EDT). These are centered on 1300 and 2500 Hz. Don’t be discouraged by the low signal level of WRMI, or by the Cuban jamming on the frequency. You might get a good decode of Olivia 8-1000 anyway.

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Wavescan focuses on Africa in 2013

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AWRlogo For those of you looking for an informative show on international broadcasting, shortwave radio and DXing, checkout Wavescan by AWR.

This year, I understand a lot of focus will be placed on radio and broadcasting to/in Africa. Wavescan’s full schedule follows Jeff White’s announcement below:

(Source: Jeff White, WRMI)

WAVESCAN this weekend:

The January 13 edition of Wavescan, which begins to air this weekend and throughout next week on WRMI, contains part 2 of the “100 Years of Wireless and Radio in Bulgaria” series, the Philippines DX Report with Henry Umadhay, and “Focus on Africa: Liberia.” Included is an interview with Allen Graham of HCJB in Ecuador, who is currently working in Liberia doing radio training and helping with a local university FM radio station. Allen talks about the importance of shortwave radio in West Africa.

Wavescan Scheduling: B12 Transmission Period

Radio Miami International

Sunday

0500 UTC via WRMI 9955 kHz – Radio Miami Int Miami Florida USA

1200 UTC via AWR 17535 kHz – Media Broadcast Wertachtal Germany

1500 UTC via WRMI 9955 kHz – Radio Miami Int Miami Florida USA

1530 UTC via AWR 15255 kHz – Sri Lanka Broad Corp Trincomalee Sri Lanka

1600 UTC via KSDA 11825 kHz – Adventist World Radio Agat Guam

1600 UTC via KSDA 15360 kHz – Adventist World Radio Agat Guam

1630 UTC via KSDA 11740 kHZ – Adventist World Radio Agat Guam

2230 UTC via KSDA 15320 kHZ – Adventist World Radio Agat Guam

Monday

1200 UTC via WRMI 9955 kHz – Radio Miami Int Miami Florida USA

Tuesday

0430 UTC via WRMI 9955 kHz – Radio Miami Int Miami Florida USA

Wednesday

0100 UTC via WRMI 9955 kHz – Radio Miami Int Miami Florida USA

1200 UTC via WRMI 9955 kHz – Radio Miami Int Miami Florida USA

2000 UTC via WINB 13570 kHz – World International Red Lion Pennsylvania USA

Thursday

400 UTC via WRMI 9955 kHz – Radio Miami Int Miami Florida USA

1430 UTC via WRMI 9955 kHz -Radio Miami Int Miami Florida USA

Friday

0415 UTC via WRMI 9955 kHz -Radio Miami Int Miami Florida USA

Saturday

0800 UTC via WRMI 9955 kHz -Radio Miami Int Miami Florida USA

1200 UTC via WRMI 9955 kHz -Radio Miami Int Miami Florida USA

1730 UTC via WWCR2 12160 kHz -Worldwide Christian Nashville Tennessee USA

2100 UTC via WRMI 9955 kHz -Radio Miami Int Miami Florida USA

2330 UTC via WRMI 9955 kHz -Radio Miami Int Miami Florida USA

…………..

iPod AWR

Internet Stream AWR.org WRMI.net WWCR.com WINB.com

Telephone Feed WINB at 1 415 655 0846

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Radio Australia’s Saturday Night Country is a part of my Saturday morning

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Felicity Urquhart, host of ABC's Saturday Night Country. (photo: ABC)

Even though it’s well over 9,800 miles (15,800 kilometers) and many time zones from where I live, I listen to Radio Australia’s Shepparton broadcast site perhaps more than any other on the shortwave bands. For decades, it has beamed a broad and booming signal into North America on 9,580 kHz every morning. Well, I say “morning” here in the southeastern US, but in Australia, it’s their (or, for our Aussie readers, your) evening.

One show Radio Australia broadcasts that’s popular across the globe is ABC’s Saturday Night Country. Felicity Urquhart hosts the program, which showcases the best in Australian country and, indeed, country music worldwide. She knows her stuff, too–not only is she a talented host, but also an accomplished country music star in her own right. (What’s more–see above–she’s got “a face for radio”–? Try television: she’s very photogenic.)

What I love about Saturday Night Country is that there’s lots of music, but also excellent interviews as Felicity chats with well-known and upcoming stars. Since the Radio Australia shortwave signal out of Shepparton is always so strong coming into the US, the audio fidelity is often on par with local AM (MW) stations.

I listen to the show many Saturday mornings, and I’m not even that big a fan of country music. And I’m not alone; several of you have written asking when I’d write a post about Saturday Night Country. For our readers, I’ve done one better: check two hours out the latest show for yourself in the recording of ABC below (or click here for the mp3). The broadcast begins with a news segment at the top of the hour; if you like, fast-forward to 4:30 for the beginning of SNC:

Incidentally, I used making this recording as an excuse to test one of the newest receivers on my bench, the WinRadio Excalibur. Its recording functionality is perhaps the best in the SDR world–and, I’ve got to say, I’m most impressed with it. Out of the chunk of spectrum I recorded, I was also able to hear RCI’s Sackville site broadcasting All In a Weekend on 9,625 kHz. In the past, these two have had conflicting schedules between 8:00-9:00 local, but with the Excalibur’s three individual receivers, I can record one while listening to the other–or better yet, record both, and track down yet another station!

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WBCQ to send digital message over shortwave tonight

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Update: Missed this broadcast? No worries–not only did we record the digital message, but we’ll teach you how to decode it.

(Source: WBCQ on Facebook)

On Friday, May 4, 2012, during Allan Weiner Worldwide (8pm US eastern time, 0000 UTC), we will be presenting an experiment in the transmission of text messages in digital formats. During the show, we will transmit a brief message in MFSK64 format. This message consist of text that listeners can save to a file with an .htm suffix, then open and view it in a web browser.

The message can be decoded using a variety of free software packages. One such package is FLDIGI, which can be found at http://www.w1hkj.com/Fldigi.html.

Thanks to Kim Andrew Elliott, audience researcher at the International Broadcasting Bureau, for coordinating this test.

You can find Allan Weiner Worldwide on 5,110, 7,490 and 9,330 kHz tonight (Friday, May 4th) at 00:00 UTC (20:00 in Eastern US)

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Bob Thomann and Bob Zanotti interview Jeff White

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(Source: Switzerland in Sound via RNW Media Network)

Bob Thomann and Bob Zanotti, better known as The Two Bobs formerly of Swiss Radio International, have been friends with Jeff White for decades. Jeff started out as a shortwave listener, and then got into HF broadcasting himself, originally with a project called Radio Earth, and then later as the owner and operator of WRMI (Radio Miami International) based in Miami, Florida. He has also served as president of the US-based National Association of Shortwave Broadcasters (NASB).

In August 2010 Jeff White was in Switzerland for a meeting of the High Frequency Coordinating Committee (HFCC), which he organized, and he took the opportunity to pay a visit to Bob Zanotti in the Emmental. Bob Thomann joined them for a one-hour chat about the HFCC and the future of HF broadcasting.

You can find the interview in The Two Bobs menu on www.switzerlandinsound.com. This special programme will also air on PCJ Radio and some of the partner stations.

Thanks to RNW Media Network and PCJ Media for bringing this to my attention.

PCJ Media, by the way, has a long line-up of amazing radio-related shows to hear. It’s become quite the collection of new programs and nostalgia as well. Check out their website for more info.

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The Happy Station Show’s New Year Contest

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Radio Miami International broadcasts the Happy Station show on 9955 kHz.

Keith Perron of the new Happy Station Show is running a listener contest with some pretty cool prizes up for grabs. I find it encouraging that a new shortwave radio program is offering listener prizes–reminds me of the good old days!

The contest starts September 10, 2009 and winners will be announced on New Year’s day, 2010. Read the full press release below or directly on the HSS blog.

The Happy Station Show broadcast schedule via WRMI to North and South America:
0100-0155 UTC Thursdays on 9955 kHz
Repeated 1500-1555 UTC Thursdays on 9955 kHz

From Keith Perron:

Hi Everyone,

Starting September 10th, 2009 we are launching a New Years contest with the winners to be announced at 1230am (local HK TIME) that’s 1730UTC on January 1st, 2010.

Times reflect the November time shift. Meaning 0100UTC now will be 0200UTC after that.

Let me fill you in the loop as they say. On December 31, 2009 both editions of Happy Station will be 2 hours each.

The transmission at 0200UTC will be a special program for South America and the Caribbean and will run for 2 hours. Details are still being worked on at this moment. I will fill you in when they become available. This program will be recorded.

The transmission at 1600UTC will be LIVE from Hong Kong. My friends at RTHK (Radio Television Hong Kong) are giving us a studio over looking Victoria Harbor where at 1659UTC we will do the countdown to 2010. They are also letting us patch into the audio feeds for RTHK, so you will be able to hear the countdown live as it happens in Hong Kong. After the countdown, plus a small concert of the Hong Kong Symphony Orchestra I will announce the winner of the contest. Prizes listed below!

This contest is open to both email and post entries. But to enter you will need to send in the time and date you hear a short message that will start to air September 11, 2009 for the broadcast at 0100UTC. This message will also be used during the 1500UTC program, and for the shows for Indonesia and New Zealand. Now the message is in code, but if you can’t understand it. That’s not important! What’s important is you report the time you heard it and the date. I will announce the the shows next week more details about how it will work. But please remember to include your postal address! And that even goes to those who send in emails.

Keith Perron, host of the New Happy Station Show

Prizes
1st Prize: Sangean ATS909
2nd Prize: Sangean ATS606
3rd Prize: The 3 books from Jerry Berg about SW
4th Prize: 1 Year membership to Communication from the BDXC
5th Prize: 10 winners of a CD by Tom Meijer called Easy Come, Easy Go!

So good luck to everyone!

Warmest regards,
Keith Perron
Happy Station Show