Category Archives: What’s On Shortwave

Shortwave Radio Recordings: Radio Progreso

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Havana, Cuba (Photo: Wikimedia)

Earlier this week, I noted that Cuban medium wave station, Radio Progreso, was to begin broadcasting on 4,765 kHz shortwave, beginning October 1st at 00:30 UTC.

I listened between 00:30 and 2:30 UTC on Oct 1st, but heard nothing other than the weak carrier from (possibly) Radio Emissora De Educao Rural. However, the following evening at 01:00 UTC (October 2nd) I did hear a strong signal from Radio Progreso.

For your listening pleasure: the recording I made of Radio Progreso on October 2, 2013, starting around 01:00 UTC. Click here to download the recording as an MP3 or simply listen via the embedded player below:

Shortwave Radio Recordings: Radio Australia

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CRI-bandwidthLike most Friday mornings, yesterday at 11:00 UTC, I tuned to 9,580 kHz to listen to Radio Australia news and ABC National’s technology program Download This Show.

While the signal out of Shepparton, Australia was as strong as ever, I heard adjacent interference from China Radio International.

Indeed, looking my WinRadio Excalibur‘s spectrum display (see image on right), you can see that CRI’s signal on 9,570 kHz was actually producing noise 15 kHz on either side of their AM carrier (for a total bandwidth of 30 kHz!). Radio Australia’s signal was much cleaner, sticking to their allotted 10 kHz bandwidth limit.

The recording of Radio Australia was still quite good, despite the interference, because I was able to run the Excalibur’s AM sync detector locked on the (less noisy) upper side band.

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

The BBC launches a new, interactive news program

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Ros Atkins, host of Outside Source (Photo: BBC Media)

Ros Atkins, host of Outside Source (Photo: BBC Media Centre)

See full press release below–many thanks to Richard Cuff for the tip:

(Source: BBC Media Center)

The BBC has today announced development of a brand new news programme, Outside Source, hosted by Ros Atkins, to be broadcast across its international platforms – BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC.com.

This innovative new show will link the BBC’s global network of journalists with a worldwide audience using the latest in broadcast technology.

Broadcasting live from the BBC’s new state-of-the-art newsroom in the redeveloped Broadcasting House, London, the programme is launching initially on World Service Radio. It is then planned to develop the format to provide audiences with a fully integrated web, radio and TV experience.

Outside Source aims to open up the news process, enabling people to discover the latest on the stories that matter to them. An hour-long World Service Radio show is the first element of the pan-Global News format to be brought to air. Outside Source will be broadcast weekdays between 11am and 12pm GMT.

The programme will then be developed to include an online element, encouraging audiences to share their knowledge and experience of that day’s stories, no matter where they are in the world, via social media.

The online roll-out will be followed by the TV offering, due early in 2014 – a half-hour programme on BBC World News, the BBC’s international 24-hour television news channel – broadcast in the early evening GMT.

Using the latest technology means, Ros won’t be tied to a studio for the live broadcasts. He’ll be moving around Broadcasting House so listeners are getting the latest information on stories from our reporters, whether they are in one of the 27 language services or part of the BBC’s team of correspondents. Plus there will be ample opportunity for the audience to comment and add insight about stories happening where they are.

Sharing the ethos behind Outside Source, Editor Mark Sandell comments: “Outside Source is an exercise in open journalism. It aims to open up the news process and involve the audience in understanding the news. It will be technologically advanced and ambitious but also transparent and accessible. We want it to be ‘in the moment’ as we and the audience are discovering the news.”

Introducing the new programme, Ros Atkins says: “We are all incredibly excited about the new show. Such an innovative programme is only possible because of our new facilities here at Broadcasting House. While our starting point will be the expertise we have in the building, such as our language services and our bureaux teams, we’ll also be using social media and story communities to complement what we are discovering and to find out what our audience is making of the news. Outside Source will show we really are the world’s newsroom.”

Outside Source will launch first on BBC World Service on Monday 28 October at 11am GMT weekday mornings.

With the FCC in shutdown, pirates hit the air

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pirateI noted at least seven pirate radio loggings here in North America on Wednesday, October 1–the first day of the US government shutdown. This is a remarkable number of pirate loggings for a weekday night.

I then saw a message from Ragnar Daneskjold, pointing to the FCC’s printed plan for an “Orderly Shutdown Due to Lapse of Congressional Appropriations” and this quote, in particular:

“FCC activities other than those immediately necessary for the protection of life or property will cease.”

So I’m sure, as one SWLing Post reader pointed out, pirates will “play while the (FCC) cat is away.”

During the US government shutdown, expect extra pirate activity weekday nights between 6920-6970 kHz.

Click here to read other items related to the US government shutdown.

US international broadcasting: affected by the government shutdown?

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View of the Capitol Building from the roof of VOA

View of the Capitol Building from the roof of VOA

At least for now, it would appear, “programming of the U.S. international media networks will continue for overseas audiences” according to the BBG website and CNN.

I expect many VOA listener entertainment programs (those focused on music, arts and culture) will play archived material during the furlough. News programs should continue to deliver up-to-date information.

However, the shutdown will unfortunately have some affect on VOA Radiograms, as producer/presenter Dr. Kim Elliott will be on furlough as of 15:00 UTC today. In an email to the VOA Radiogram community, Elliott states:

You probably have heard the news about the US government shutdown. Congress has not sent to the White House an appropriations resolution that would allow continued funding of US government operations.

While VOA will remain on the air to provide news in its 42 languages, I will be on furlough during the shutdown and may not be able to produce a new VOA Radiogram for the weekend of 5-6 October. If the shutdown continues through the weekend, the transmitters, if they are on the air during the four half-hours of VOA Radiogram, will probably broadcast last weekend’s program, number 28, again.

After about 1500 UTC today, 1 October 2013, I will not be able to use this email account to send or receive emails until the shutdown ends.

My personal website, www.kimandrewelliott.com, will continue to be updated during the shutdown, and you can correspond with me using the email address [posted on kimelliott.com].

The VOA Radiogram website, voaradiogram.net, will remain online during the shutdown, but I will not be able to update it after 1500 UTC today. I have already posted on that website some interesting results from the past weekend’s program.

Thanks to all of you who sent reception reports for VOA Radiogram during the weekend of 28-29 September. I will respond to all of your emails but will not be able to do so until after the shutdown.

The BBG website has detailed information for employees, including this BBG plan for operations in the event of appropriations lapse.

If the shutdown continues beyond a few weeks, then I imagine it could have broader implications for US international broadcasting. We’ll post updates with the tag “Shutdown.“