{"id":42904,"date":"2020-04-19T07:47:21","date_gmt":"2020-04-19T11:47:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=42904"},"modified":"2020-04-19T07:47:21","modified_gmt":"2020-04-19T11:47:21","slug":"radio-waves-tribute-to-gene-pell-dangerous-am-demonstration-white-house-criticism-of-voa-and-essex-online-classes-break-records","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/04\/radio-waves-tribute-to-gene-pell-dangerous-am-demonstration-white-house-criticism-of-voa-and-essex-online-classes-break-records\/","title":{"rendered":"Radio Waves: Tribute to Gene Pell, Dangerous AM Demonstration, White House Criticism of VOA, and Essex Online Classes Break Records"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Radio Waves:\u00a0 Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio<\/h2>\n

Because I keep my ear to the waves, as well as receive many tips from others who do the same, I find myself privy to radio-related stories that might interest\u00a0SWLing Post<\/em>\u00a0readers.\u00a0 To that end:\u00a0Welcome to the\u00a0SWLing Post\u2019s<\/em> Radio Waves<\/em>, a collection of links to interesting stories making waves in the world of radio.\u00a0<\/strong>Enjoy!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many thanks to\u00a0SWLing Post<\/em> contributors Troy Riedel, Dennis Dura, and Dan Robinson for the following tips:<\/p>\n

\n

Ernest Eugene \u201cGene\u201d Pell 1937-2020 (Radio Free Europe)<\/a><\/h3>\n

As noted in this obituary published by his hometown newspaper,\u00a0The Paducah Sun<\/a>, Ernest Eugene \u201cGene\u201d Pell, 83, died quietly on April 7, 2020, at his home near Syria, after a 3-year battle with cancer. Pell served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Radio Free Europe\/Radio Liberty (RFE\/RL) from 1985-1993, leading the Radios during the peaceful revolutions that occurred in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union from 1989-1992.<\/em><\/p>\n

In Tribute to Gene Pell<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In 1989, we who were privileged to serve in the management of RFE\/RL as Gene Pell\u2019s colleagues watched the awesome professionalism of RFE\/RL\u2019s broadcasters as peaceful revolution swept from the Baltics to the Balkans, and the Radios helped each country share with others the power \u2013 even the slogans \u2013 of peaceful protest, and the wisdom of restraint by police and armed forces.<\/p>\n

Romania was a tragic exception. Ceaucescu\u2019s regime was doomed by RFE\u2019s broadcast of a recording of the shooting of civilians protesting in Timisoara. As Ceaucescu fled Bucharest, and violence by unknown combatants erupted, Gene ordered a million watts of shortwave power from our transmitter stations across Europe diverted to the Romanian service. Before long, Romanian army commanders seeking to restore calm established phone contact with the service in Munich.<\/p>\n

In the immediate aftermath of the liberation of Eastern Europe, and the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, Gene saw the need and found the resources to open bureaus across the region and begin on-the-ground reporting by talented local journalists \u2013 and local rebroadcasting of RFE\/RL programming.<\/p>\n

And he persuaded the U.S. government to allow RFE\/RL for the first time to broadcast to the former Yugoslavia, during the Bosnian War, with a new, multi-ethnic service led by Nenad Pejic*.<\/p>\n

On Gene\u2019s watch, Lennart Meri, Foreign Minister of a newly free Estonia, nominated RFE\/RL for the Nobel Peace Prize.<\/p>\n

Gene\u2019s leadership was crucial as another struggle soon ensued, this time in Washington, as efforts arose to save the federal government money by shrinking or closing the Radios, on the premise that if Europe was free, why did we need Radio Free Europe (and Liberty)? Support from new democratic leaders across the region, notably from Lech Walesa and Vaclav Havel, helped convince a Presidential Commission addressing this question that the Radios\u2019 mission should not end but evolve, as it has.<\/p>\n

The views of these freedom leaders were decisive in keeping RFE\/RL on the air and positioned to win the enormous multi-media audience it enjoys today. Gene Pell\u2019s vision is alive for future generations.<\/p>\n

Two of my closest colleagues, Ross Johnson and Kevin Klose, join me, as I am sure many others would, in saluting Gene for his contribution to a freer world.<\/p>\n

— Robert Gillette […<\/a>]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A Dangerous Demonstration of the Power of Radio (Hackaday)<\/a><\/h3>\n

Terrestrial radio may be a dying medium, but there are still plenty of listeners out there. What would a commute to or from work be without a check of \u201cTraffic on the Eights\u201d to see if you need to alter your route, or an update of the scores from yesterday\u2019s games? Getting that signal out to as many listeners as possible takes a lot of power, and\u00a0this dangerous yet fascinating demo<\/a> shows just how much power there is on some radio towers.[…<\/a>]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n