{"id":67333,"date":"2026-10-15T07:28:13","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T11:28:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=67333"},"modified":"2026-10-15T07:28:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T11:28:13","slug":"febc-manila-philippines-then-and-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2026\/10\/febc-manila-philippines-then-and-now\/","title":{"rendered":"FEBC, Manila, Philippines \u2013 Then and Now"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a>by Dan Greenall<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Far East Broadcasting Company in Manila is currently celebrating 80 years on shortwave, while at the same time, planning to close down in March 2027.<\/p>\n

I first heard them from my listening post in southern Ontario, Canada back in 1972, and received this colourful QSL from them.<\/p>\n

They used to broadcast a number of their programs in unusual dialects, but many were in English, as can be seen from this page from the 1972 World Radio TV Handbook.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Their interval signal came from the hymn \u201cWe have heard the Joyful Sound.\u201d Two versions of it can be found on Jerry Johnston\u2019s website of shortwave interval signals, one from 1993, and another from 2005 (which is the same version they use today in 2026). Find Jerry\u2019s recordings here: https:\/\/www.iaswww.com\/swmp3\/intervalsignals\/simple_is.php<\/a><\/p>\n

The SWLing Post<\/em> recently received news from contributor Paul Walker that the FEBC would be shutting down its shortwave service in March 2027. https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2026\/08\/febc-philippines-plans-to-close-march-2027\/<\/a><\/p>\n

The good news is, there is still time to log this station before they are gone forever. Listen to a couple of recent recordings made using a KiwiSDR in northern Thailand.<\/p>\n

#1 \u2013 Interval signal followed by sign on in Mongolian. Recorded October 4, 2026 at 1114 UTC on 15330 kHz<\/p>\nhttps:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/FEBC-sign-on-Mongolian-SND.ve3hls.proxy_.kiwisdr.com_2026-10-04T11_14_13Z_15330.00_usb.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

#2 \u2013 Sign off in Japanese followed by interval signal. Recorded October 3, 2026 at 1426 UTC on 15620 kHz<\/p>\nhttps:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/FEBC-sign-off-Japanese-SND.ve3hls.proxy_.kiwisdr.com_2026-10-03T14_26_12Z_15620.00_am.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

#3 – Made April 17, 2025 around 0013 hours UTC, they are supposedly switching from Lu to Lahu. If you listen carefully, you can pick out “FEBC” around the 2:11 mark. The frequency of this broadcast was 12055 kHz and I was using a remote SDR receiver located in northern Thailand.<\/p>\nhttps:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/FEBC-Philippines-via-ve3hls.proxy_.kiwisdr.com_2025-04-17T00_13_14Z_12055.00_am.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

#4 – Made July 6, 2025 beginning at 2257 hours UTC, you will hear the interval signal they have been using for many years, “We Have Heard the Joyful Sound.” While the Asian language used for this broadcast on 12055 kHz is unknown, you will again hear a clear “FEBC” around the 3:03 mark of this recording.<\/p>\nhttps:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/FEBC-interval-signal-ve3hls.proxy_.kiwisdr.com_2025-07-06T22_57_21Z_12055.00_am.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

They are currently using 100 kW transmitters in Bocaue and Iba, Philippines. Programs are aired in many languages I have never heard of, but none are in English. You can have a look at their broadcast schedule here: https:\/\/shortwave.live\/freq?station=FEBC+Manila&language=&target=&band=&hour=17&minute=45<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Dan Greenall The Far East Broadcasting Company in Manila is currently celebrating 80 years on shortwave, while at the same time, planning to close down in March 2027. I first heard them from my listening post in southern Ontario, Canada back in 1972, and received this colourful QSL from them. They used to broadcast […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_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},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[960,3,305,746,43],"tags":[10271,7763,4111,4082],"class_list":["post-67333","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-international-broadcasting","category-news","category-nostalgia","category-recordings","category-shortwave-radio","tag-dan-greenall","tag-febc","tag-international-broadcasting","tag-shortwave-radio"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-hw1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":55199,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2022\/12\/carlos-shortwave-art-and-recording-of-febc-december-28-2022\/","url_meta":{"origin":67333,"position":0},"title":"Carlos\u2019 Shortwave Art and recording of FEBC (December 28, 2022)","author":"Thomas Witherspoon","date":"December 29, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to\u00a0SWLing Post\u00a0contributor and noted political cartoonist,\u00a0Carlos Latuff, who shares\u00a0his radio log art\u00a0of a recent NHK World broadcast. 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In the 1974 edition of\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\/2025\/10\/PNG-radio-map-1971.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PNG-radio-map-1971.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PNG-radio-map-1971.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PNG-radio-map-1971.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/PNG-radio-map-1971.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":64341,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/10\/algeria-on-shortwave-then-and-now\/","url_meta":{"origin":67333,"position":2},"title":"Algeria on Shortwave – Then and Now","author":"Thomas","date":"October 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Dan Greenall, for sharing the following guest post: Algeria on Shortwave - Then and Now by Dan Greenall In the early 1970s, Radiodiffusion-Television Algerienne ran a modest shortwave service (no English) mainly for North Africa, the Middle East,\u00a0and Europe. A copy of their schedule\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\/2025\/10\/Greenall-Algeria-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Greenall-Algeria-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Greenall-Algeria-1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Greenall-Algeria-1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Greenall-Algeria-1.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":43805,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/06\/radio-waves-febc-at-75-years-radio-drama-with-a-twist-remembering-rufus-turner-and-free-foundation-online-training-course\/","url_meta":{"origin":67333,"position":3},"title":"Radio Waves: FEBC at 75 Years, Radio Drama “With a Twist”, Remembering Rufus Turner, and Free Foundation Online Training course","author":"Thomas","date":"June 12, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Radio Waves:\u00a0 Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio 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\u00a0readers.\u00a0 To that end:\u00a0Welcome to the\u00a0SWLing Post\u2019s Radio Waves, a\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\/2018\/07\/Boat-Anchor-Dial-2-e1531303366290.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Boat-Anchor-Dial-2-e1531303366290.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Boat-Anchor-Dial-2-e1531303366290.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Boat-Anchor-Dial-2-e1531303366290.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":66868,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2026\/08\/febc-philippines-plans-to-close-march-2027\/","url_meta":{"origin":67333,"position":4},"title":"FEBC Philippines plans to close March 2027","author":"Thomas","date":"August 22, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Paul Walker, who shares the following announcement originally posted on the National Association of Shortwave Broadcasters' Facebook page:\u00b7 FEBC SW Philippines to close: I just wanted to let you know that FEBC Philippines is planning to close our facilities in Bocaue and Iba in\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\/2026\/08\/FEBC-Logo.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/FEBC-Logo.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/FEBC-Logo.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/FEBC-Logo.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":63154,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/06\/ktwr-guam-dan-suggests-you-log-a-piece-of-radio-history-today\/","url_meta":{"origin":67333,"position":5},"title":"KTWR Guam: Dan suggests you log a piece of radio history…today!","author":"Thomas","date":"June 15, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Dan Greenall, who writes: Hi Thomas Regarding your recent post on June 5: https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/06\/twr-guam-to-end-broadcasting\/ KTWR, Trans World Radio has recently announced they will be ending their shortwave broadcasts from Agana, Guam by October 31, 2025. 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