{"id":38773,"date":"2019-08-01T16:15:21","date_gmt":"2019-08-01T20:15:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=38773"},"modified":"2019-08-01T16:15:21","modified_gmt":"2019-08-01T20:15:21","slug":"voa-exhbition-a-fascinating-look-at-early-shortwave-radio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/08\/voa-exhbition-a-fascinating-look-at-early-shortwave-radio\/","title":{"rendered":"VOA exhbition: “a fascinating look at early shortwave radio”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Many thanks to SWLing Post<\/em> contributor, George Herr, who shares the following item from the LA Times<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Long before cell towers started sprouting up everywhere, the federal government commissioned telecommunication companies to build five massive fields of shortwave radio antennae. The structures, which reached up to 450 feet, were located in out-of-the-way places in California, Ohio and North Carolina. Each was designed to bounce radio waves off the ionosphere, allowing federally produced programming to be transmitted all over the globe.<\/p>\n

The U.S.\u2019 international radio broadcaster Voice of America was born during World War II. It expanded during the Cold War. As technology advanced, its programs were carried via television and digital platforms. Today it is part of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, providing news and information in 50 languages to a weekly audience of 275 million.<\/p>\n

Its early years are traced in a fascinating exhibition at the Center for Land Use Interpretation in Culver City. \u201cVoice of America: The Long Reach of Shortwave\u201d takes visitors back to the predigital world, before our political leaders began tweeting their innermost sentiments and policy decisions. Back then, international audiences were addressed more formally, via carefully scripted programming.<\/p>\n

[…]The antennae are the stars of the show. They appear in photographs, in videos and on touch-screen monitors. Arranged in grids, arcs and asymmetrical arrays, they resemble high-tech fishing nets, impossibly spindly bridges, supersized spirit catchers and otherworldly telephone poles. Sculpturally impressive, they make Land Art look fussy, precious and small.<\/p>\n

All but one of the five transmission stations have been abandoned. The most haunting component of the exhibition is a three-minute video documenting the destruction of the antennae. In sequence after sequence, little puffs of smoke appear before the towering antennae yield to the tug of gravity and topple to the earth in seemingly slow motion. Some crash into others, causing them to fall like skyscraper dominoes. It\u2019s a sad ballet that marks the end of an era.<\/p>\n

A pair of touch-screen slideshows is also bittersweet. It takes visitors on a virtual tour of Transmission Station B (the only one still functioning) and Transmission Station A (its twin). Both are near Greenville, N.C. To see the up-and-running station alongside its vandalized, disused doppelganger is to glimpse a living world next to a dying one.<\/p>\n

Both are ours.<\/p>\n

Click here to read the full story at the LA Times.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, George Herr, who shares the following item from the LA Times: Long before cell towers started sprouting up everywhere, the federal government commissioned telecommunication companies to build five massive fields of shortwave radio antennae. The structures, which reached up to 450 feet, were located in out-of-the-way places in California, […]<\/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":[960,3,43],"tags":[2658,7748,1103],"class_list":["post-38773","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-international-broadcasting","category-news","category-shortwave-radio","tag-edward-r-murrow-transmitting-station","tag-la-times","tag-voa-site-b"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-a5n","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":10569,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/08\/radio-world-international-broadcasters-reconsider-shortwave\/","url_meta":{"origin":38773,"position":0},"title":"Radio World: International Broadcasters Reconsider Shortwave","author":"Thomas","date":"August 19, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Check out this article from Radio World which addresses\u00a0the state\u00a0of shortwave radio broadcasting. Jeff White of WRMI and Kim Elliott of the VOA are both interviewed. Elliott even speaks about the virtues of the VOA Radiogram experiments which have had success circumventing shortwave radio jamming (broadcasts which were completely omitted\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sackville-radio-towers-li","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/Sackville-radio-towers-li.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/Sackville-radio-towers-li.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/Sackville-radio-towers-li.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8977,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/03\/deadline-approaching-bbg-seeks-public-comment-on-relevancy-of-shortwave-radio\/","url_meta":{"origin":38773,"position":1},"title":"Deadline approaching: BBG seeks public comment on relevancy of shortwave radio","author":"Thomas","date":"March 12, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Reminder: The US Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG)\u00a0is asking for your comments\u00a0on the relevancy of shortwave radio broadcasting. In short, simply send the BBG an email (limited to 1,200 words or less) with your comments\u00a0by Friday (March 14th, 2014).\u00a0The BBG has set up the following email address:\u00a0ShortwaveCommittee@bbg.gov Click here for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Students in South Sudan listen to their favorite shortwave radio program, VOA Special English.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/DSCN2988wtmk-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8795,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/02\/shortwave-radio-recordings-voice-of-america-circa-1968\/","url_meta":{"origin":38773,"position":2},"title":"Shortwave Radio Recordings: Voice of America, circa 1968","author":"Thomas","date":"February 15, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to David Firth, who is kindly sharing shortwave radio recordings he made on reel-to-reel recording equipment in the late 1960s. Firth is uncovering and digitizing these off air recordings as time allows and, thanks to his generosity, we will be posting these recordings on the Shortwave Radio Audio\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Willis Conover, The Voice of America (Source: Wikimedia Commons)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/614px-Willis_Conover_1969.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/614px-Willis_Conover_1969.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/614px-Willis_Conover_1969.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14953,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2015\/09\/shortwave-radio-recordings-rci-bbc-voa-circa-1979-1981\/","url_meta":{"origin":38773,"position":3},"title":"Shortwave Radio Recordings: RCI, BBC, VOA circa 1979 & 1981","author":"Thomas","date":"September 28, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SRAA contributor,\u00a0Tom Laskowski, who shares the following recording and notes: A few snippets from my old shortwave tapes that were too short to upload individually. These were made using a GE portable multi band that had poor selectivity, hence the annoying ute during the BBC clip. Times\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"HalliDial","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/HalliDial-1024x400.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/HalliDial-1024x400.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/HalliDial-1024x400.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":59385,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2024\/04\/taiwan-breaking-through-censorship-via-shortwave\/","url_meta":{"origin":38773,"position":4},"title":"Taiwan: Breaking through censorship via shortwave","author":"Thomas","date":"April 1, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David Iurescia, who shares the following story: How Taiwan breaches censors' barriers (VOA News) Breaking the barriers of censorship in China, Myanmar and North Korea is a daunting task, as these countries have built almost impenetrable firewalls against outside news and information. But Radio\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\/2024\/01\/XHDATA-D109-WB-002-001-scaled-e1706022455779.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/XHDATA-D109-WB-002-001-scaled-e1706022455779.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/XHDATA-D109-WB-002-001-scaled-e1706022455779.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/XHDATA-D109-WB-002-001-scaled-e1706022455779.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/XHDATA-D109-WB-002-001-scaled-e1706022455779.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10081,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/06\/sweeping-cuts-to-voa-rfe-and-rfa-shortwave-services\/","url_meta":{"origin":38773,"position":5},"title":"Sweeping cuts to VOA, RFE and RFA shortwave services","author":"Thomas","date":"June 27, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Unfortunate news from the Voice of America: Congress has approved major\u00a0cuts to US international broadcasting over shortwave. Thanks to Dan Robinson for sharing this significant\u00a0news. Dan writes: This news emerging from VOA late Friday: VOA to end shortwave broadcasts in English and several language services Monday. Received this late Friday\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Voice_of_America_Headquarters","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Voice_of_America_Headquarters.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Voice_of_America_Headquarters.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Voice_of_America_Headquarters.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Voice_of_America_Headquarters.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38773","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=38773"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38773\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38773"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38773"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38773"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}