Tag Archives: Richard Langley

Amanda Dawn Christie’s Book on the Radio Canada International Antennas

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who writes:

Amanda Dawn Christie’s Book on the Radio Canada International Antennas

Amanda Dawn Christie together with Thaddeus Holownia and Radio Canada International has authored a 96-page bilingual book titled “Ghost Stations = Stations Fantômes” a catalogue of an exhibition in the Upper Gallery at 50 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, home of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, in March and April 2022. Amanda’s film and a shortwave radio simulcast were featured during the exhibition. From the preface of the book:

“Ghost Stations was an exhibition about the remarkable — and now-demolished — shortwave antenna array on the Tantramar Marshes in Sackville, New Brunswick that Radio Canada International (RCI) used to transmit programming internationally from 1945 until 2012.”

This is a true hard-cover art book with exquisite page display, typography, and binding and comes with a slip cover. Lots of great photographs and two extended essays: “Photography, Film, and Electricity” and “Radio Canada International’s Modern Spirit.” The end-pieces of the book feature images of a CBC Radio-Canada International Service QSL card.

A limited number of copies of the book are available from the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts:

Price List

Pick-up in Ottawa (no shipping)
CAD $50.85

Shipping anywhere in Canada
CAD $70.85

Shipping anywhere in US
$70.00 (U.S. Dollars)

Shipping Outside of USA/CANADA
CAD $85.00

How to Pay:

Through cheque
Send a cheque through the post:
Payable to the RCA
50 Sussex Dr
Ottawa, ON
Canada
K1M 2C9

Online
Pay through paypal link:
Follow the link paypal.me/RCAARC

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BBC: “Do We Still Need the Pips?”

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who shares the following piece which recently aired on BBC Radio 4 (click link below to listen):

To mark the centenary of the Greenwich Time Signal on the BBC, Paddy O’Connell asks the unaskable – Do We Still Need the Pips?

First broadcast at 9.30pm on Feb the 5th 1924, the six pips of the Greenwich Time Signal have become synonymous with Radio 4.
But today digital broadcasting has rendered this time signal delayed and inaccurate. Plus their immovable presence can cause accidents on-air, and no-one wants to crash the Pips.
So after 100 years, should Radio 4 just get rid of them? What is the point of a time signal in 2024 anyway?

Paddy O’Connell looks back across a century of organised beeps, and meets the people who listen to, broadcast and sometimes crash in to the Pips to find out what we really think about these six little characters.
With interviews including Mishal Husain, Robin Ince & Brian Cox, Jane Steel, Richard Hoptroff, Jon Holmes and David Rooney.

Produced by Luke Doran.
Original music by Ed Carter.

Click here to listen to this episode on BBC Radio 4.

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Radio 4 Continuity Announcers

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who writes:

While setting up to record BBC Radio 4 LW for the turn of the year using the U. Twente SDR receiver, I noticed the program in the final hour before midnight: “But First This …” It is about the jobs of Radio 4 continuity announcers and is a behind the scenes look into radio continuity. Those interested in how radio production works will find it interesting. It includes discussions on the reading of the Shipping Forecast, also known as the Shipping Bulletin, and not crashing the Greenwich Time Signal (the pips). There’s quite an amusing music and poetry item about the pips. Several of the continuity announcers, some of whom also read the news, take part including Neil Nunes, who frequent listeners to the World Service will recognize.

Here is the program description from the BBC Radio 4 website:

“Continuity announcers’ voices are at the heart of Radio 4 – they introduce programmes and bring us the news. But who are they? What does it take to do their job – from introducing The Archers to reading the Shipping Forecast? And what happens on those hopefully rare occasions when things don’t go according to plan? With contributions from more announcers than ever previously spotted in one place, and a special musical performance, countdown to the new year with the BBC Radio 4 announcers.”

The program is available to listen again here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001trdd

Might be worth a mention on the SWLing Post.

All the best
— Richard

Fascinating. Thank you for sharing this, Richard!

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BBC Midwinter Broadcast: Second set of test transmissions on Friday, June 17, 2022

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who shares the following message from Dave (M0MYA):

Hello All,
There is to be a second set of test transmissions for the BBC Antarctic
special.

The will take place tomorrow (Friday 17.06.2022) at 2130 – 2145 UTC.
The frequencies are the same as they were on Tuesday June 14:

ASC: 7305kHz
DHA: 6035 kHz
WOF: 9505kHz and 12065kHz
73,
Dave M0MYA

Many thanks for the tip, Richard!

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Today: Transmission tests for the 2022 BBC Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast

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Halley VI Research Station on the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica (Source: British Antarctic Survey)

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who writes:

Hi Thomas:

According to a posting on the WoR io group, the frequencies for the 21 June broadcast won’t be finalised until after the test transmissions, but the latter have now been scheduled.

They will be on air today Tuesday, 14.06.2022, at 2130-2145 UTC.

      • ASC: 7305 kHz
      • DHA: 6035 kHz
      • WOF: 9505 kHz and 12065 kHz

All the best
— Richard

Many thanks for sharing this Richard! As it has become a tradition, we will share recordings of the June 21 Midwinter Broadcast to Antarctica here on the SWLing Post once again. Always a highlight of my year!

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Discrepancies in REE published and announced 2022 summer schedules

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who shares the following in reply to our recent post about the REE 2020 summer broadcast schedule:

Thomas:
I heard this schedule announced on Wednesday evening myself and my iPhone translated it. But it is at odds with the schedule posted on Glenn Hauser’s WoR io group site a couple of days ago:

De lunes a viernes, para África Occidental y Atlántico sur, Oriente Medio e Índico, desde las 15 horas hasta las 23 horas UTC (Tiempo Universal Coordinado), 17 a 01 hora oficial española.

Las frecuencias de emisión:

– África Occidental y Atlántico sur, 11.670 Khz., banda de 25 metros.

– Oriente Medio e Índico, 15.520 Khz, banda de 19 metros.

Hacia América del norte y sur, Radio Exterior de España transmite en onda corta, de lunes a viernes, de 18 a 02 horas UTC, 20 a 04 hora oficial española.

Las frecuencias de emisión:

– América del sur, 11.940 Khz, banda de 25 metros.

– América del norte, 17.855 Khz, banda de 16 metros.

Los sábados y domingos, transmite su señal de 14 a 22 horas UTC, 16 a 24 hora oficial española. Frecuencias de emisión y las zonas de cobertura :

– África Occidental y Atlántico sur, 11.670 Khz, banda de 25 metros.

– América del sur, 11.940 Khz, banda de 25 metros.

– América del norte, 17.855 Khz, banda de 16 metros.

– Oriente Medio e Índico, 15.520 Khz, banda de 19 metros.

Los cambios de programación y frecuencias son efectivos desde el 27de marzo de 2022 hasta el 30 de octubre de 2022.

This is a more typical summer schedule for REE when they switch from 9690 kHz for NA, which gives excellent reception in NB, for a much higher frequency, which is not as good especially later in the evening.

As I mentioned in the group:

“I guess the REE announcers didn’t get the memo about this schedule.” 😉

All the best
— Richard

Thank you so much for sharing this, Richard! I bet you’re right: someone simply didn’t get the most updated memo! 🙂

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Tuning in Ukrainian Radio and State Of Emergency Includes Amateur Radio Ban

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Kyiv, Ukraine (Photo by @lifeinkyiv)

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who shares the following note he also posted to Glenn Hauser’s io group:

As we know, Radio Ukraine International, a.k.a. Ukrainian Radio, is no longer on SW except perhaps for a one-hour German-language relay from a low-power transmitter in Germany. It is also on satellite but that doesn’t help too many. But RUI can be easily accessed on the Web from a couple of URLs:
http://www.nrcu.gov.ua/schedule/play-live.html?channelID=4
and
http://www.ukr.radio/uk/schedule/play-live.html?channelID=4

During the continuous 24-hour streaming, a one-hour English segment is broadcast four times per day (all times UTC ):
21:00 – 22:00
23:00 – 24:00
02:00 – 03:00
13:00 – 14:00

It appears that the first new broadcast of the day is at 21:00 – 22:00 and is then repeated in the following slots.

At other times, there are segments in Ukrainian, Russian, German, and Romanian.
Please let me know if I got anything wrong here.

UPDATE (24 Feb 2022): WRMI has resumed broadcasts of Radio Ukraine International. Click here for details.

Ban on amateur radio in Ukraine (The Kyiv Independent)

Ukraine has declared a state of emergency in all of Ukraine except for eastern Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts starting on Feb. 24.

The parliament approved the decree introduced by President Volodymyr Zelensky on Feb. 23, as the threat of Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine continues to grow.

Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts already have a special legal status because of Russia’s ongoing occupation since 2014.

Restrictions introduced by the state of emergency are due to last 30 days and will vary depending on the region.

The state of emergency allows the authorities to temporarily limit the public’s constitutional rights.

The decree green-lights the following measures:

    • increased public order protection and security;
    • checks of identification documents of civilians and frisking if necessary;
    • ban on protests;
    • temporary or permanent evacuation of people from dangerous areas and providing them with accomodation;
    • ban on relocation of conscripts and reservists without notice;
    • ban on producing and spreading information that may “destabilize the situation”;
    • ban on amateur radio transmitting devices.

Other measures that may be implemented “if necessary” include:

    • a curfew;
    • a special regime of entry and exit;
    • ban on mass events;
    • “special rules” for spreading information online.
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