Category Archives: Shortwave Radio

Radio Waves: State of AM Radio, Quindar Tones Hack, AI DJs, BBC Pop-Up Station for Sudan, Artemis II & Ham Radio, and a Morse Revival

Source: NASA

Radio Waves: Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio

Welcome to the SWLing Post’s Radio Waves, a collection of links to interesting stories making waves in the world of radio. Enjoy!

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributors Dennis Dura, David Shannon, and Eric McFadden for the following tips:

Bouvard Laments “Yawning Gap” in Marketer Perceptions About Radio (Radio World)

Cumulus publishes analysis to counter prevailing sentiments about AM and radio in general

“Ford owners are massive users of AM radio.”

So writes Pierre Bouvard, chief insights office of Cumulus Media, citing data from MRI Simmons.

That is but one of his observations as Cumulus Media/Westwood One released an analysis of listening data from sources that also include the Nielsen fall 2022 survey, Edison Research’s “Share of Ear” and research by Advertiser Perceptions.

Bouvard regularly posts about the power of radio and what he calls misperceptions about the medium among the broader marketing community.

He summarized takeaways from the new Cumulus analysis:

“The Nielsen Fall 2022 survey reveals that 82,346,800 Americans listen to AM radio monthly; 57% of the AM radio audience listens to news/talk stations, the very outlets that Americans turn to in times of crisis and breaking local news; and one out of three American AM/FM radio listeners are reached monthly by AM radio,” he wrote. [Continue reading…]

AM News Radio, your go-to in a crisis, could itself be in trouble (NorthJersey.com)

“Some clouds over the city right now. I’m Paul Murnane,” says a familiar voice.

“I’m Wayne Cabot,” says another.

Few would know their faces. But as names, they’re as recognizable as anyone in New York.

Fewer still could tell you their address — an 11th floor studio in a light-brick high-rise in lower Manhattan, between a Chase bank branch and patisserie named Maman.

But hundreds of thousands know where to find them on the AM dial — right between 820 WNYC (“public affairs”) and 930 WPAT (“multi-ethnic”). That, for 56 years, has been the location of WCBS Newsradio 880 — one of those rare unchanging institutions in a changeable city. [Continue reading…]

Apollo Comms Part 27: Quindar Tones Microphone Hack (CuriousMarc on YouTube)

The last DJ nears? Radio station uses artificial intelligence, cloned voices (WRAL)

GENEVA — The voices sound like well-known personalities, the music features trendy dance beats and hip-hop syncopations, and the jokes and laughter are contagious. But listeners of an offbeat Swiss public radio station repeatedly got the message on Thursday: Today’s programming is brought to you by Artificial Intelligence.

Three months in the making, the French-language station Couleur 3 (Color 3) is touting a one-day experiment using cloned voices of five real, human presenters — in what managers claim is a world first — and never-aired-before music composed almost entirely by computers, not people. From 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., the station said, AI controlled its airwaves. Every 20 minutes, listeners got a reminder. Continue reading →

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Alan Roe’s A23 season guide to music on shortwave (version 1.1)

Another cocktail please, my good mixologist

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Hi all of the SWLing Post community Fastradioburst23 here again letting you know of our second Imaginary Lounge this coming Sunday 30th April 2023 at 2200 UTC on 9395 kHz via WRMI.

The transmission will be coming live again from the Skybird Supper Club in Paris and there will be free complimentary cocktail for every participant this time (There will be a code given out and an email address to apply for a token that you can use at a cocktail lounge of your choice) . Expect the finest lounge and exotica classics for your listening pleasure yet again. Raise your Collins glass please.

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Radio Waves: Gen Tojo’s Teeth, City Radio Review, Wearable CW Trainer, Sister Boniface, and “We Are Broadcasters” Oppose Tax

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Radio Waves: Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio

Welcome to the SWLing Post’s Radio Waves, a collection of links to interesting stories making waves in the world of radio. Enjoy!

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributors Dennis Dura and Harry Dence for the following tips:

Gen Tojo’s Teeth: Morse Code Shows Up In The Strangest Places (Hackaday)

The Baader-Meinhof effect is the common name for what scientists call frequency illusion. Suppose you are watching Star Trek’s Christopher Pike explain how he makes pasta mama, and you’ve never heard of it before. Immediately after that, you’ll hear about pasta mama repeatedly. You’ll see it on menus. Someone at work will talk about having it at Hugo’s. Here’s the thing. Pasta mama was there all along (and, by the way, delicious). You just started noticing it. We sometimes wonder if that’s the deal with Morse code. Once you know it, it seems to show up everywhere.

One of the strangest places we’ve ever heard of Morse code appearing is the infamous case of Tojo’s teeth. If you don’t remember, General Hideki Tojo was one of the main “bad guys” in the Pacific part of World War II. In particular, he is thought to have approved the attack on Pearl Harbor, which started the American involvement in the war globally. Turns out, Tojo would be inextricably tied to Morse code, but he probably didn’t realize it. [Continue reading at Hackaday…]

the CityRadio – Hear the world (TechMoan on YouTube)

A ‘radio’ that lets you listen in to broadcasts from cities around the world…but there’s a catch.

M5STICKC Turned Wearable Morse Code Trainer (Hackaday)

Have you ever felt the options for Morse code communication were too limited? Well, look no further than [marsPRE]’s open source WristMorse communicator that can connect over WiFi, can act as a Bluetooth keyboard or just be used as a Morse Code trainer.

[marsPRE] uses the M5StickC Plus as the base device and attaches a custom “hat” consisting of a 2.5 mm plug for a radio connection and two capacitive touch paddles that act as the Morse Code keyer. The add-on is housed in what looks like a custom 3D print and hangs off of the end of the M5StickC Plus, connecting the hat through an eight 0.1 inch pin header. [Continue reading at Hackaday…]

Sister Boniface episode “Dead Air” is a pirate radio-themed

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Harry Dence, who writes:

Do you watch BritBox? Hope so!

Today they released Season 2, Episode 8 of the Sister Boniface mysteries, called “Dead Air.”

Set in England of the Radio Caroline era, the episode concerns a pirate radio station called Radio Catherine, a bit of humor along with the mystery, and an homage to Radio Caroline in its ending. Also a sight gag that will please Spinal Tap fans and reference to the GPO controlling the airwaves.

Thank you for the tip, Harry!

WeAreBroadcasters: “Encourage Congress to support local radio!”

Note: this is a petition managed by WeAreBroadcasters in opposition to a proposed tax:

Encourage Congress to support local radio!

Legislation that would force local radio stations to pay new fees simply for playing music has been introduced in Congress. The American Music Fairness Act (AMFA) would put stations out of business and impact their ability to provide the news, traffic, weather, emergency information and entertainment you rely on every day. The Local Radio Freedom Act opposes new performance fees on local radio stations and recognizes radio’s vital role in every community. Please take action today and encourage your members of Congress to oppose the AMFA and cosponsor the Local Radio Freedom Act. Your voice matters!

Click here to sign.