Tag Archives: wbcq

Coming Soon to WBCQ 7490: Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot


Bill Tilford, who currently brings us From the Isle of Music on WBCQ and Channel 292, is launching a second program, Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot, a half hour music variety program, on March 2 on WBCQ, 7490 Khz.  It will be a combination of Americana, World Music, Comedy, Novelty,  and Bill  threatens that it will  be one of the most musically eclectic programs on any band along with a few laughs here and there.

WBCQ pegs its long term schedule to EST/EDT and translates to UTC.   UBMP will air 7:00-7:30pm EST/EDT Thursdays (for the first couple of weeks, 0000-0030 UTC Fridays, then 2300-2330 Thursdays).

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VORW Radio International shortwave special: August 10 and 11

SX-99-Dial

Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, John from VORW Radio International, who writes:

[I] wanted to let you know that I will be having a special shortwave broadcast on August 10th and 11th. The broadcast will provide entertainment to listeners in Europe, Asia and North America with a mixture of good music and talk to accompany it.

The schedule for the transmission is as follows:

Wednesday August 10th

WBCQ – 7490 kHz – 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM Eastern 0100 – 0200 UTC (Thursday the 11th) – North America

Thursday August 11th

Shortwave Service (Via Armenia 100 kW) — 12075 kHz — 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Eastern 1600 – 1700 UTC – India

Shortwave Service — 6005 kHz — 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Eastern 1800 – 1900 UTC – Central/Western Europe

Any reception reports will be met with an E-QSL card and can be sent to [email protected]

Great to hear that you’ll be on the air once again, John!

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Radio World: The evolution of shortwave radio

Panasonic-RF-2200-1

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who shares the following article by James Careless in Radio World Magazine.

The article includes interviews with Andy Sennitt, Kim Andrew Elliott, Nigel Fry,  and even yours truly. The following is a short excerpt taken from the introduction of the article:

(Source: Radio World)

OTTAWA, Ontario — With the advent of radio in the 20th century, the shortwave band (1710–30,000 kHz) soon became a hotbed of long-distance radio broadcasting. Used primarily by state-run international broadcasters, plus ham radio operators and ship-to-shore radio communications, the shortwave band was prized due to its astoundingly broad reach.

That reach was — and is still — made possible by the tendency of ground-based shortwave radio transmissions to bounce off the ionosphere and back to earth; allowing shortwave broadcasts to “hop” repeatedly, increasing a broadcast’s range while minimizing its decay.

[…]At the height of the Cold War, the shortwave bands were packed with content as the Voice of America and West Germany’s Deutsche Welle (Voice of Germany) traded ideological punches with Radio Moscow and East Germany’s Radio Berlin International. This is because analog shortwave radio broadcasting was the only way for both sides to make their political cases cross international borders: There was no satellite TV, let alone any internet.

Read the full, in-depth article on the Radio World website…

This article is well worth reading and one of the more in-depth pieces I’ve seen in a trade publication or news site recently.

I should add that I completely agree with James Careless’ conclusion:

“[T]he research that went into this article suggests that the shortwave band is sufficiently alive to be still evolving.”

The fact is, the shortwave landscape is not what used to be in the Cold War. Many of those big voices have left the scene and, in the process, left the door open to others.

The shortwaves are a dynamic communications space that continues to evolve.

That’s why I keep listening.

Want to read more about the future of shortwave radio? Click here to read Does Shortwave Radio Have a Future?

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VORW Radio International broadcast this week

SX-99-Dial

Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, John, who hosts TheReportOfTheWeek channel on YouTube and writes:

Hello Thomas,

This is John from VORW Radio International and I wanted to let you know that I will be having a special shortwave broadcast on June 21st and 22nd. The broadcast will consist of talk and music and I hope to provide listeners in Europe, Asia and North America with a good time over the airwaves, with some good music!

The schedule for the transmission is as follows:

Tuesday June 21st

WBCQ – 7490 kHz – 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM Eastern 0000 – 0100 UTC – North America

Wednesday June 22nd

Shortwave Service (Via Armenia 100 kW) — 15780 kHz — 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM Eastern 1100 – 1200 UTC – Asia

Channel 292– 6070 kHz – 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Eastern 1500 – 1600 UTC – Western, Central and Southern Europe.

Shortwave Service — 6005 kHz — 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Eastern 1800 – 1900 UTC – Central Europe

Any reception reports will be met with an E-QSL card and can be sent to [email protected]

Thanks for letting us know about your broadcasts, John!

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Updade: From the Isle of Music

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Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Bill Tilford, who shares this From The Isle of Music update:

Beginning June 7, From the Isle of Music begins an exciting new phase. Our host, Bill Tilford, recently returned from Cuba with the music of the winners and nominees of Cubadisco 2016, which among other things is Cuba’s equivalent of the GRAMMY Awards. He also recorded several interviews. We will begin sharing this music and the interviews this week.

Our June 7 (June 6 in the Americas) program brings back NuJazz artist Zule Guerra, who recently won a Cubadisco 2016 in the category Opera Prima (Best New Artist), and we’ll feature some of El Arte del Sonido by Thellus, which won the Cubadisco 2016 category Electronic and Electronic-Acoustic Music. We’ll also have some vintage Orquesta Aragon from the 70s along with more of Popularmente Sinfónico Vol II by Orquesta Sinfónica de Matanzas. This week, we begin bringing the winners and nominees of Cubadisco 2016 to you on the radio.

Two listening options on shortwave:

WBCQ, 7490 KHz, Tuesdays 0000 UTC (8pm EDT Mondays)
Channel 292, 6070 KHz, Tuesdays 1900 UTC (2100 CEST)

See the NOTES section of our Facebook page for program updates and other information.

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May Update: From the Isle of Music

Havana, Cuba (Photo: Wikimedia)

Havana, Cuba (Photo: Wikimedia)

Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Bill Tilford, who shares this From The Isle of Music update:

Our May 10 (May 9 in the Americas) program will feature two special guests with interviews and music:

1. Cuban Laud (a relative of the lute) master Barbarito Torres, whose prolific career includes the Buena Vista Social Club, but we will be playing some of his wonderful work with songstress Miriam Ramos.

2. Albertico Lescay, leader of the Cuban Jazz/Fusion group Formas. NuJazz is a new branch of Jazz in Cuba that we’ll let him explain to you.
We’ll also feature some more of Danzas Para Piano de Ignacio Cervantes.(the musical gift that keeps on giving)

Our May 17 (May 16 in the Americas) program will feature a brief interview with Angel Toirac, pianist of Influencia, and a lot of music by this distinctive Jazz ensemble, We wiill also have some vintage 1970s Cuban Funk from Grupo Monumental, some recent Cuban R & B by Eme, and we’ll finish the wonderful concert piano album Danzas Para Piano de Ignacio Cervantes.

Our May 24 (May 23 in the Americas) features a brief interview with phenomenal Jazz saxophonist Michel Herrera and his music. Also some popular dance music from the 70s by Grupo Monumental, the Timba of Manolito Simonet y su Trabuco, and we are going to begin listening to Popularmente Sinfónica Vol II by Orquesta Sinfónica de Matanzas.

Two listening options on shortwave:

  • WBCQ, 7490 KHz, Tuesdays 0000 UTC (8pm EDT Mondays)
  • Channel 292, 6070 KHz, Tuesdays 1900 UTC (2100 CEST)

See our Facebook page, From The Isle of Music, for more information.

Thanks as always for all you do for radio.

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Update: From the Isle of Music

PromoFTIOMApr252616

Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Bill Tilford, who shares this From The Isle of Music update:

Our April 26 (April 25 in the Americas) program will feature special guest Cuban Jazz/Blues/Fusion guitarist Hector Quintana, a nominee in the Jazz category in Cubadisco 2015.

Also, some nice Charanga from Orquesta America, also a Cubadisco 2015 nominee (Traditional Son), some of David Alvarez & Juego de Manos (yet another nominee, in Popular Dance Music) and more of the beautiful concert piano album Danzas Para Piano de Ignacio Cervantes.

Two listening options on shortwave:
WBCQ, 7490 KHz, Tuesdays 0000 UTC (8pm EDT Mondays)
Channel 292, 6070 KHz, Tuesdays 1900 UTC (2100 CEST)

On Facebook: From the Isle of Music

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