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A half century ago, the BBC World Service used a number of different interval signals. A few minutes prior to the start of a broadcast, a recognizable, often repeating tune would be played that would enable listeners to more easily locate the BBC in a crowded band on a typical analog receiver.
A peek into the 1975 World Radio TV Handbook notes a few of these. There was the Morse signal V (as in, V for Victory), primarily used for broadcasts to Europe. It was also identified as 4 notes tuned B-B-B-E, and an example can be found on Jerry Johnston’s page of shortwave interval signals:
Then, there were the three notes “B-B-C” in tonic scale. This was assigned to the World Service for Africa and other services.
Finally, though not listed in this edition of the handbook, was the highly recognizable sound of the Bow Bells. This one came into common use during World War Two when it was broadcast as a symbol of hope for the people of Europe. At least one source states that the original recording was made in 1926, now 100 years ago. Many recordings of the Bow Bells interval signal can be found online via YouTube.
More recently, many of the BBC World Service broadcasts seem to start up very abruptly. An open carrier appears on the frequency to be used only minutes, or even seconds, before the program (already in progress) begins. One example is noted in this recording made on February 5, 2026, just prior to 2200 UTC sign-on, on a frequency of 11645 kHz.
However, two of the above-mentioned tuning signals appear to still be occasionally in use. The three-note B-B-C was observed on March 4, 2026, at 0028 UTC on 7445 kHz. This recording was made through a Kiwi SDR on the island of Cyprus.
I also logged them using their Bow Bells interval signal on December 28, 2025 at 2358 UTC on 6155 kHz while listening on a Kiwi SDR in Thailand. Here is how they sounded then.
As well, SRAA reporter Paul Walker noted reception of the Bow Bells back in September 2025 on 9410 kHz. Follow this link to his report:
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Greenall, who writes:
In years gone by, many Pacific island nations relied on shortwave radio to air their programs across the vast expanses of ocean. These included countries such as Kiribati, Tahiti, Fiji, Saipan, New Caledonia, the Marshall Islands, Cook Islands, and Papua New Guinea. There are recent reports that the latter is seriously looking at a return to shortwave by 2030. https://swling.com/blog/2025/05/papua-new-guinea-plans-shortwave-comeback-by-2030/ Even in Hawaii, the licence of World Harvest Radio KWHR expired in 2009.
While the above nations can no longer be found on shortwave, a handful of other stations are still operating in 2025 and make excellent DX targets for listeners around the world. If you prefer optimal quality reception, choose to listen through a remote SDR closer to the transmitter site.
Click on the various links below to hear samples of audio from some of the remaining broadcasters located in the South Pacific region.
I recently received a fascinating message from long-time SWLing Post reader Paul, who has graciously shared a remarkable collection of shortwave radio recordings he made from his home near London in the 1980s. Here’s what he wrote:
Hi Thomas, I have been following your excellent blog for many years. I have noticed that sometimes you feature archive recordings. I have some that might interest you.
During the 1980s I was listening to shortwave radio from my home near London, in the south east of England. I had a cassette recorder connected to the receiver and taped anything interesting that caught my ear. Little did I know that 40 years later the majority of these stations would have disappeared and I would have the opportunity to share these recordings with the world.
I have put together a collection of five audio files of recordings from many of these international shortwave broadcasters, consisting of IDs and interval signals. The majority of these recordings are in English. I’ve grouped the files geographically:
I’ll also embed the audio players below with Paul’s notes:
Western Europe
AUSTRIA: Radio Austria International (0)
CYPRUS: Cyprus Broadcasting Company (1.40)
DENMARK: Radio Denmark (3.09)
FINLAND: Radio Finland (4.29)
FRANCE: Radio France Internationale (5.30)
GERMANY (WEST): Deutsche Welle (6.30)
GREECE: Voice of Greece (7.53)
ITALY: RAI (9.24)
MALTA: Radio Mediterranean (11.00)
NETHERLANDS: Radio Netherlands (12.21)
NORWAY: Radio Norway (13.34)
PORTUGAL: Radio Portugal (15.34)
SPAIN: Spanish Foreign Radio (16.32)
SWEDEN: Radio Sweden (18.17)
SWITZERLAND: Swiss Radio International (19.53)
Red Cross Broadcasting Service (20.38)
UNITED KINGDOM: BBC World Service (21.49)
Eastern Europe and the USSR
ALBANIA: Radio Tirana (0)
BELARUS: Radio Minsk (1.18)
BULGARIA: Radio Sofia (1.41)
CZECHOSLOVAKIA: Radio Prague (2.29)
ESTONIA: Radio Tallin (2.50)
GERMANY (EAST): Radio Berlin Int (3.49)
HUNGARY: Radio Budapest (5.22)
LATVIA: Radio Riga (6.31)
LITHUANIA: Radio Vilnius (7.14)
POLAND: Radio Polonia (8.30)
ROMANIA: Radio Bucharest (9.37)
UKRAINE: Radio Kiev (10.41)
USSR: Radio Moscow World Service (12.17)
Radio Station Peace & Progress (13.35)
Radio Station Rodina (13.59)
YUGOSLAVIA: Radio Yugoslavia (14.21)
The Americas
Bonaire: Trans World Radio (3.31)
Brazil: Radio Nacional do Brasil (4.32)
Canada: Radio Canada Int (6.58)
Chile: Voice of Chile (8.48)
Colombia: Radio Nacional (11.06)
Radio Sutatenza (12.00)
Cuba: Radio Havana (12.48)
Dominican Republic: La Voz del CID (14.20)
Radio Clarin (15.01)
Ecuador: HCJB (15.43)
Grenada: Radio Free Grenada (17.36)
Nicaragua: Voice of Nicaragua (18.42)
USA: Voice of America (19.54)
Radio Earth (20.33)
KCBI (21.39)
WHRI (22.13)
WRNO (22.38)
WYFR (22.49)
Venezuela: Radio Turismo (23.22)
Radio Tachira (24.06)
YVTO (24.41)
Asia and the Pacific
Afghanistan: Radio Afghanistan (0)
Australia: Radio Australia (1.55)
Bangladesh: Radio Bangladesh (3.18)
China: Radio Peking (4.23)
India: All India Radio (6.16)
Japan: Radio Japan (7.29)
Korea (North): Radio Pyongyang (9.02)
Korea (South): Radio Korea (12.26)
Malaysia: Voice of Malaysia (14.22)
New Zealand: Radio New Zealand (15.49)
Pakistan: Radio Pakistan (16.13)
Saipan: KFBS & KYOI (16.44)
Taiwan: Voice of the Free China (18.14)
Tajikistan: Radio Dushanbe (19.01)
Uzbekistan: Radio Tashkent (19.22)
Vietnam: Voice of Vietnam (20.16)
Africa and the Middle East
ALGERIA: Radio Algiers (0)
EGYPT: Radio Cairo (1.03)
IRAN: Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran (2.33)
IRAQ: Radio Baghdad (4.17)
ISRAEL: Kol Israel (6.33)
KUWAIT: Radio Kuwait (8.00)
LEBANON: Voice of Lebanon (9.29)
LIBYA: Radio Jamariyah (10.18)
NIGERIA: Radio Nigeria (12.15)
QATAR: Qatar Broadcasting Service (13.53)
SAUDI ARABIA: Broadcasting Service of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (14.21)
SOUTH AFRICA: Radio RSA (15.45)
SYRIA: Radio Damascus (17.37)
TURKEY: Voice of Turkey (18.40)
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: UAE Radio (19.50)
Many Thanks to Paul!
A huge thank you to Paul for not only preserving these recordings, but also for taking the time to digitize and share them publicly. This is a nostalgic treat for many of us and a valuable reference for future generations of listeners.
If any readers have similar recordings they’d like to share, feel free to reach out. I’m always happy to help preserve and feature them on the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive.
Voice of Mongolia Transmitter Site (Photo by Mark Fahey)
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Dan Greenall, who writes:
The Voice of Mongolia from Ulaanbaatar was always tough to hear from my location in southern Ontario, Canada. Relatively quiet conditions and a clear frequency eventually allowed me to make a recording of their interval signal and bilingual identification (presumed Mongolian and English) on November 1, 1998. This was on 12085 kHz at 1230 UTC. I was using a Panasonic RF-3100 portable receiver and a very long wire antenna.
Recording #1 November 1, 1998 1230 UTC 12085 kHz sign on in English (received in Ontario, Canada)
Today, reception of their programs still seem to be challenging, even with the use of remote SDR’s. Their schedule runs from 0900 to 1100 UTC on 12085 kHz, and again from 1300 to 1500 hours on 12015 kHz. Half hour English language segments begin at 0900 and 1430. Their distinctive interlude tune has remained the same through the years.
Recording #2 July 11, 2025 1300 UTC 12015 kHz sign on in Japanese (used Korean SDR)
Recording #3 July 12, 2025 1430 UTC 12015 kHz Chinese ending then sign on in English (used Korean SDR)
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Greenall, who writes:
It seems that fewer shortwave broadcasters utilize an interval signal these days. However, of the ones that do, at least a couple seem to have stood the test of time, going back over 50 years. The bellbird from Radio New Zealand comes to mind, and then FEBA, once broadcasting from the Seychelles Islands, and now airing programs from different transmitter sites, continues to use “What a Friend We have in Jesus”.
Listen to this signature tune here:
FEBA Seychelles recorded February 22, 1973 around 1800 UTC on 11955 kHz, as heard in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada:
FEBA radio via transmitter at Al-Dhabbiyah, UAE (using SDR at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) recorded June 24, 2025 signing off at 0230 UTC on 9540 kHz:
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Greenall, who writes:
Hi Thomas
I still have warm memories of tuning into Radio Australia on 9580 kHz at sunrise during my early days of shortwave listening. They would sign on with their Waltzing Matilda interval signal and the sound of the kookaburra bird.
While doing some listening on the SDR of my friend Ken (VE3HLS) who has retired to northern Thailand, I have discovered you can still hear the kookaburra on shortwave by tuning into Reach Beyond Australia. Their broadcast to Myanmar in Burmese from 1500 to 1530 UTC on 11900 kHz can be very well heard on this Kiwi. There is a brief English announcement at sign and sign off, as well as a few seconds of “kookaburra chatter.”
Attached are two recordings, the first at sign on (March 7, 2025) and the second at sign off (December 1, 2024).
Also I’ve included a link to Interval Signals Online where you can find the old Radio Australia sign on.
I was going over a few of my old cassettes today and discovered what seems to be an interval signal, but I cannot seem to place it.
Recording:
Unfortunately, all I can tell you is that it was made sometime in 1971.
I’ve done a little checking with Interval Signals Online but no luck so far. The recording is right at the end of a cassette and you can hear the tape run out abruptly, so no ID, language or frequency info is available.
[…]Any ideas about the mystery IS?
73
Readers: If you can help Dan positively identify this interval signal, please comment!
by Dan Greenall
A peek into the 1975 World Radio TV Handbook notes a few of these. There was the Morse signal V (as in, V for Victory), primarily used for broadcasts to Europe. It was also identified as 4 notes tuned B-B-B-E, and an example can be found on Jerry Johnston’s page of shortwave interval signals:
