Category Archives: Shortwave Radio

Off air recording of the Shortwave Shindig?

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Are there any SWLing Post readers out there who could make an off air recording of the Shortwave Shindig broadcast tonight (22:00 EST, 02:00 UTC)? If so, please comment!  I would like to share your recordings on the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive.

Please note the type of radio used and what part of the world you live in. The more recordings, the merrier! Thank you!

The Shortwave Shindig goes live on shortwave Friday 3/14/14 from the 27th Annual Winter SWL Festival in Plymouth Meeting, PA. The Shindig signs on for one hour at 10 ET/0200 UTC on 7,570 khz via WRMI’s new Okeechobee facility. Please join us for a celebration of the art and culture of long distance listening.

Shortwave Radio Recordings: The Mighty KBC

DJ Eric van Willegen, "Uncle Eric"

DJ Eric van Willegen, “Uncle Eric”

For your listening pleasure: two hours of The Mighty KBC, recorded on March 9, 2014 starting at 00:00 UTC on their winter frequency of 7,375 kHz.

As we’ve come to expect, the Mighty KBC’s Giant Jukebox of music has a lot of rock-n-roll and Euro-pop variety, spanning the decades; DJ, “Uncle Eric” knows how to entertain and spin the tunes! Uncle Eric includes Kim Elliott’s digital text modes in this broadcast–if you missed the live broadcast, you can even decode the messages from the recording below.

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

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Some answers from CQ Mag & free download of January/February issues

feb. 2012We’ve had a long-running string of comments regarding CQ Magazine and Popular Communications on a post announcing the end of Popular Communications and birth of CQ Plus.

We’ve heard no word from CQ in months and many of us assumed that perhaps they were closing down. This morning, I learned about a HamRadio Now interview with CQ editor Rich Moseson W2VU. In this one hour video, Moseson explains the late print issues, end of Pop Comm and how the publisher plans to move forward.

We also learn that CQ has made digital copies of the January and February 2014 issues available online and free of charge. Click here to download from CQ online.

Click here to watch the video on YouTube, or via the embedded player below:

Deadline approaching: BBG seeks public comment on relevancy of shortwave radio

Students in South Sudan listen to their favorite shortwave radio program, VOA Special English.

Students in South Sudan listen to their favorite shortwave radio program, VOA Special English.

Reminder: The US Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) is asking for your comments on the relevancy of shortwave radio broadcasting.

In short, simply send the BBG an email (limited to 1,200 words or less) with your comments by Friday (March 14th, 2014). The BBG has set up the following email address: [email protected]

Click here for full details.

Thank you for defending the relevancy of shortwave radio on behalf of those living in impoverished areas, and in states with repressive regimes: listeners without a voice.

Listen to the Shortwave Shindig live: Friday on WRMI 7,570 kHz

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If you can’t make it to the Winter SWL Fest this year, you can still listen to one hour of David Goren’s Shortwave Shindig via a live broadcast through WRMI. Here are the details:

The Shortwave Shindig goes live on shortwave Friday 3/14/14 from the 27th Annual Winter SWL Festival in Plymouth Meeting, PA. The Shindig signs on for one hour at 10 ET/0200 UTC on 7,570 khz via WRMI’s new Okeechobee facility. Please join us for a celebration of the art and culture of long distance listening.

Be sure to check out David Goren’s website: Shortwaveology.net

BBC World Service ‘can make a difference’ in North Korea

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Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Ulis, for the tip:

(Source: The Independent)

One of the world’s experts on North Korea has called on the BBC to “be part of the solution” in fighting human rights abuses under Kim Jong-un’s repressive regime by initiating Korean-language broadcasts by the BBC World Service.

Michael Kirby, the eminent retired Australian judge who chaired a recent Commission of Inquiry (COI) on North Korea for the United Nations Human Rights Council, told The Independent that the BBC could make a difference to the lives of people in “a country that has been largely cut off from the rest of the world”.

Speaking in a personal capacity, Mr Kirby said the BBC was in a position to make a difference in North Korea.

[…]He told The Independent: “The strict controls on sources of information in North Korea, revealed in the COI report, surely add to the arguments for an increased outreach by the civilised world to the people of North Korea. With its hard won reputation for truthful reporting, fair coverage and proper priorities, the BBC has a special potential to be part of the solution.”

[…]Funding of the World Service has passed from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office to the BBC. Previous BBC studies have identified problems in providing a Korean service, especially in relation to the difficulties of the North Korean population tuning in and defying the ban on listening to foreign broadcasts.

Foreign Secretary William Hague said recently that it was “not currently possible for the World Service to offer a meaningful, effective and cost-effective service”. But last week Foreign Office minister Hugo Swire gave renewed hope to campaigners for a Korean service when he said: “We have approached the BBC and are waiting for its detailed response.”[]

Read the full story at The Independent.

Extended HE-AAC: DRM to upgrades audio codec

drmlogoMany thanks to SWLing Post reader, Mike, for sharing this news item on RadioInfo:

(Source: RadioInfo)

The latest upgrade to DRM’s audio codec was demonstrated in a presentation at this week’s Digital Broadcasting Symposium in Kuala Lumpur.  Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) is the first global broadcast standard to adopt the Extended HE-AAC (xHE-AAC), which promises improved quality for DRM broadcasts in SW, AM and FM.

Alex Zink, the Senior Business Development Manager for Digital Radio at Fraunhofer, outlined the benefits of DRM in emergency situations, particularly the ability of DRM transmissions to signal receivers to turn on automatically and deliver emergency warning messages in a crisis.

“Unlike consuming radio on a smart phone, there is no gatekeeper in between digital free to air broadcasting and the consumer,” said Matthias Stoll in his presentation during the afternoon workshop.[…]

Read more at: http://www.radioinfo.com.au/news/new-audio-codec-drm-digital-symposium-2014 © Radioinfo.com.au