{"id":35440,"date":"2019-01-05T06:00:43","date_gmt":"2019-01-05T10:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=35440"},"modified":"2019-01-05T07:33:37","modified_gmt":"2019-01-05T11:33:37","slug":"the-forgotten-firsts-remembering-radio-netherlands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/01\/the-forgotten-firsts-remembering-radio-netherlands\/","title":{"rendered":"“The Forgotten Firsts–Remembering Radio Netherlands”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many thanks to SWLing Post<\/em> contributor, Richard Langley, who shares this excellent article by our friend Jonathan Marks in\u00a0Medium<\/em><\/a>:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Jonathan Marks, Director of Programmes, Radio Netherlands, Hilversum, June 1995 (Source: Medium.com)<\/p><\/div>\n

\n

Every country claims to have invented radio. In the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision in Hilversum they have so far focused on the radio pioneer Hanso\u00a0Idzerda<\/a>. He set up a business to make and sell his radios. And he realised that no-one would buy his radios if there was nothing to listen to. I think the evidence shows that he was one of the first, if not the first person to make regular broadcasts following a pre-announced schedule. But I would like to suggest he started off a chain of Dutch \u201cfirsts\u201d, many of which are now in danger of being forgotten.<\/p>\n

First, Idzerda started international broadcasting. From a rooftop antenna in the Hague, his low power mediumwave signal could be heard in the Southern part of the UK. And he capitalised on that by broadcasting an hour of concert music between 4 and 5 on a Sunday afternoon, responding to listeners correspondence. And he managed to get the programme paid for by the Daily Mail newspaper in London.\u00a0So, the first international broadcasts were commercial<\/strong>. They were also the world\u2019s first broadcasts using what today we would call narrow band frequency modulation. It wasn\u2019t until 1933 that American engineer\u00a0Edwin Armstrong<\/a>, discovered this technique was capable of transmitting much better audio fidelity if you used much higher frequencies and more sensitive receivers.<\/p>\n

In 1920\u2019s, no-one understood radio propagation<\/h2>\n

But in 1919 no-one really understood how radio waves worked and the influence the sun has on the way they propagate. I\u2019m guessing that Idzerda would have had most of his UK listeners in mid-winter when it was starting to get dark.<\/p>\n

By 1925, various things were happening in parallel. Physicists like Edward Appelton were showing that there was a layer in the earth\u2019s atmosphere which they later called the ionosphere. It acted like a mirror to radio waves. And the path of the signal followed was dependent on frequency.<\/p>\n

So while Radio Kootwijk was using a high-power long-wave transmitter to try and send Morse code messages to the Dutch colony of the East Indies, now Indonesia, engineers at Philips in Eindhoven realised that shorter wavelengths were best suited to long distance communication using much less power than the 400kW being used in Kootwijk. They ran experiments in 1925 which were received in Malabar Indonesia. A certain Dr de Groot is listed is some accounts as a radio enthusiast. It\u2019s just that he happened to be the head of the Dutch telegraph station in Sitoebondo, East Java and had been busy since 1916 trying to establish a reliable, direct connection between The Netherlands and its colonies. The Dutch were making use of long-distance phone cables owned by the British who were listening in to all the communications.[…]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Click here to continue reading the full article in Medium<\/em>.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who shares this excellent article by our friend Jonathan Marks in\u00a0Medium: Every country claims to have invented radio. In the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision in Hilversum they have so far focused on the radio pioneer Hanso\u00a0Idzerda. He set up a business to make and sell […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[8,960,3,43],"tags":[60,246,263,63,3516],"class_list":["post-35440","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","category-international-broadcasting","category-news","category-shortwave-radio","tag-happy-station-show","tag-jonathan-marks","tag-radio-netherlands","tag-radio-netherlands-worldwide","tag-richard-langley"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-9dC","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":35880,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/02\/radio-netherlands-jonathan-shares-photos-from-bvn-television-and-rnw-newsrooms\/","url_meta":{"origin":35440,"position":0},"title":"Radio Netherlands: Jonathan shares photos from BVN Television and RNW newsrooms","author":"Thomas","date":"February 4, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to Jonathan Marks--former host of RNW's Media Network and curator of the Media Network Vintage Vault--who kindly shares a collection of photos he took in 2001 and 2002 at RNW's headquarters in Hilversum. Click on the images below to enlarge: The RNW Newsroom in August 2002 The BVN\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/04-DSC_0056-1024x681.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/04-DSC_0056-1024x681.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/04-DSC_0056-1024x681.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":50591,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2021\/11\/video-jonathan-marks-and-andy-sennitt-on-amsterdam-radio-day-in-2011\/","url_meta":{"origin":35440,"position":1},"title":"Video: Jonathan Marks and Andy Sennitt on Amsterdam Radio Day in 2011","author":"Thomas","date":"November 28, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mike Barraclough, who shares the following: [Here's a video] link to Jonathan Marks and Andy Sennitt talking about Media Network at the Amsterdam Radio Day in 2011, a meeting I attended. Those annual events were mostly panels about offshore radio: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=odjyD3TaUYc Thank you so\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "International Broadcasting"","block_context":{"text":"International Broadcasting","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/international-broadcasting\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/RNW-Hilver.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/RNW-Hilver.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/RNW-Hilver.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":37042,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/04\/2019-marks-the-100th-anniversary-of-radio-in-the-netherlands\/","url_meta":{"origin":35440,"position":2},"title":"2019 Marks the 100th Anniversary of Radio in the Netherlands","author":"Thomas","date":"April 30, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bill (WD9EQD), who shares the following: Hi Thomas, You probably already know this, but 2019 is the 100 anniversary of radio in the Netherlands Jonathan Marks of the Media Networks programs has a nice article about some of the history of radio Netherlands: https:\/\/medium.com\/@j.p.marks\/the-forgotten-firsts-remembering-radio-netherlands-44c04c151f0b\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/RNW-Hilver.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/RNW-Hilver.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/RNW-Hilver.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8801,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/02\/eight-new-recordings-in-the-media-network-vintage-vault\/","url_meta":{"origin":35440,"position":3},"title":"Eight new recordings in the Media Network Vintage Vault","author":"Thomas","date":"February 16, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Jonthan Marks has just informed me that he's added new studio recordings \u00a0to the Media Network Vintage Vault. They include: 7.10.1992. AM Stereo; what went wrong? 28.01.1999 Radio's Future 31.12.1999 Radio New Zealand Profile 25.02.1999 Budel Radio Museum 22.04.1999. Radio Minurca 16.01.1997. Radio Ham Revisited 12.08.1999 Birthday and the Congo\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "International Broadcasting"","block_context":{"text":"International Broadcasting","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/international-broadcasting\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"RNW headquarters in Hilversum, Netherlands (photo coutesty: RNW)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/RNW-Hilver-300x152.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8883,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/03\/interview-with-joseph-mark-costello-iii-of-wrno\/","url_meta":{"origin":35440,"position":4},"title":"Interview with Joseph Mark Costello III of WRNO","author":"Thomas","date":"March 6, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday, I posted off air recordings of WRNO Worldwide from 1983. Jonathan Marks then sent me a link to an interview he recorded in 1991 when WRNO founder, Joseph Costello, visited Radio Netherlands Worldwide in Hilversum. Click here to visit the Media Network Vintage Vault and listen online. Many thanks,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"wrnologo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/wrnologo.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3857,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2012\/07\/radio-netherlands-says-farewell-in-style\/","url_meta":{"origin":35440,"position":5},"title":"Radio Netherlands says farewell in style","author":"Thomas","date":"July 2, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Thursday night, by the light of an oil lamp, I tuned my trusty Sony portable shortwave to 6,165 kHz. At 2:00 UTC, I was rewarded with a rich, full signal from Radio Netherlands Worldwide\u2019s transmission site in Bonaire. Here in this off-grid cabin, on sixty rural acres, I bask in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/wpid-sony.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35440","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35440"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35440\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35440"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35440"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35440"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}