[HCDX] BBC World Service Turns 90 and evolves with the times

[Mike Terry via Hard-Core-DX]

Radio World
By James Careless
April 6, 2022
It began in 1932 as the “BBC Empire Service” — making radio broadcasts 
via globe-girdling shortwave to the far-flung territories ruled under 
the British Crown.
Subsequently, what is now the BBC World Service served as a wartime 
inspiration and a conduit of coded messages to Nazi-occupied Europe, and 
a trusted voice of news to Soviet-dominated states. Today, it is once 
again serving war-torn Europe with English news broadcasts targeted at 
Ukraine and Russia.
“Created 10 years after the BBC itself was founded, the BBC World 
Service was there to send ‘voices out of the air,’ which sounds like a 
poem by Keats but are actually the words of King George V,” said Stephen 
Titherington, senior head of content for BBC World Service English.
“Since the collapse of the Berlin Wall it has had a different relevancy 
to people in terms of sharing what is happening within the world, with 
also a chance for people to add their voice to what needs to be heard.”
After the Berlin Wall’s fall in 1989 and the rise of satellite 
television and then the web, the BBCWS struggled with its role before 
refocusing on local broadcasts and streaming media — and cutting back on 
shortwave, including ending shortwave service to North America — in 
2001.
But despite all these changes, “one thing that has been consistent over 
the years is the BBC’s commitment to independent news,” said Dr. Kim 
Andrew Elliott, retired Voice of America audience research analyst/radio 
host and now producer/presenter of “Shortwave Radiogram,” heard on 
shortwave stations WINB and WRMI.
“To be sure, the BBC European services had partisan commentaries during 
World War II, but the news remained factual, mostly. Since World II, BBC 
World Service has been the de facto standard for comprehensive and 
objective news.”


New reality :
The BBCWS’s 2001 reinvention came at a time when the Cold War raison 
d’etre for international shortwave radio had long subsided.
“What had seemed like a very static sense of the world changed, and many 
long-term conflicts ended, and societies changed,” Titherington said.
“But then new complexities emerged, and there was a huge amount of 
accelerated globalisation and much changed socially as well as 
politically. At the same time, access to people and their own access to 
the world’s media changed immensely.”
In fact, this retrenchment began soon after the Soviet Union fell in 
1991.
“The World Service stopped shortwave broadcasting to many areas of the 
world starting in the early ’90s,” said Andy Reid, owner of 
canadianradiodirectory.com, co-host of “The Two Wallies” satire program 
and a shortwave listener/expert for 50-plus years.
“Before then World Service could be easily heard on any modest shortwave 
radio.”
To keep the BBCWS relevant to global audiences and the U.K. governments 
that fund it, the World Service updated its presentation style in 2001 
while revamping its programming, choice of target audiences and 
distribution platforms. (And in 2012, the BBCWS left Bush House, the 
iconic London building from which it had broadcast since 1941.)
“We massively increased the range, depth and nature of our news 
programming — creating the 24/7 spine of News Bulletins and long-form 
program like ‘Newshour’ and ‘Newsday,’” said Titherington.
“But of course the audience expect more than news, and so we have grown 
a wide range of programs that include music, debate, food and many more 
programs that look at how we live, how things work, how we can learn 
about things.
“Our programs are much more conversational, and we have many more series 
— such as ‘The Inquiry,’ ‘The Assassination’ and ‘A Wish for 
Afghanistan’ — which we also release as podcasts — that tell a story 
over time so we can really explain the intricacies and the drama of 
world events.”
In terms of target audiences, the U.K. government’s shift away from Cold 
War priorities, combined with funding cuts, compelled the BBCWS to 
temporarily reduce its non-English programming.
“But I am glad to say we are now back to more than 40 [as of late 2021]. 
These include a wide range of African and Indian languages including 
Amharic, Gujarati, Igbo, Korean, Marathi, Pidgin, Punjabi, Serbian, 
Telugu, Tigrinya, and Yoruba.
“So there are less European languages than 20 years ago, but important 
new languages for us which have brought strong audiences and new and 
exciting people to work with.” (This being said, the BBCWS has not 
restored Ukrainian or Russian language broadcasts.)
Finally, the advent of the web combined with government funding cuts 
motivated the BBCWS to add new distribution channels alongside costlier 
shortwave to get its content to listeners.
One major change has been the retransmission of BBCWS programming by 
various means.
“We now have built up 200 FM relays, which are a great way of making 
sure our entire output is heard in quality,” said Titherington. “And 
more people are listening via the 

[HCDX] Test

[Mike Terry via Hard-Core-DX]

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[HCDX] Solar Flare Frenzy (updated)

[Mike Terry via Hard-Core-DX]

On May 22nd, sunspot AR2824 unleashed a sequence of solar flares unlike 
anything we've seen in years. In only 24 hours, NASA's Solar Dynamics 
Observatory recorded 10 C-flares and 2 M-flares: movie. The rapidfire 
explosions hurled multiple overlapping CMEs into space. According to 
NOAA models, a combined CME will hit Earth's magnetic field during the 
late hours of May 25th, potentially sparking G2-class geomagnetic 
storms.


https://spaceweather.com 

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[HCDX] Radio Frequency Interference Seminar Set for May 19 via Zoom

[Mike Terry via Hard-Core-DX]

ARRL
05/14/2021
ARRL Laboratory Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, hold a Radio Frequency 
Interference (RFI) seminar via Zoom on Wednesday, May 19, at 2000 UTC. 
His 30-minute slide presentation offers an overview of politics, 
personalities, and technical issues involved in electromagnetic 
interference (EMI) control as well as causes and cures. A 
question-and-answer session will follow the slide presentation. The IEEE 
EMC Society is sponsoring the event.
See https://www.emcsbostonchapter.com/events 

The IEEE Electromagnetic Compatibility Society is the world's largest 
organization dedicated to the development and distribution of 
information, tools and techniques for reducing electromagnetic 
interference.

Mike

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[HCDX] RCI English section: goodbye

[Mike Terry via Hard-Core-DX]

Radio Canada International

By Marc Montgomery
engl...@rcinet.ca
May 14, 2021
Canada’s international broadcast service from the English language team 
of Radio Canada International has come to an end.RCI, (originally the 
International Service, CBC-IS) was initially created towards the end of 
the Second World War.


The purpose was to broadcast news and information from home via 
shortwave to Canadian military personnel fighting in Europe. It also 
began providing reliable news and information to recently liberated 
countries and to Germans still in the war.


That reliable news and information was considered of great value during 
the subsequent Cold War years, as several more languages were added to 
the service.


This included for example Russian, Ukrainian, Czech, Hungarian and 
Polish, along with such language sections as Brazilian Portuguese and 
Japanese.


With 14 language sections in 1990, and some 200 staff, the full English 
and French newsroom provided news of interest and importance for each 
language section and specifically targeted to each of the various 
broadcast regions around the world.


Following a major budget cut of some 80 per cent in 2012, the shortwave 
and satellite service was terminated along with the majority of staff 
including the newsroom and some language sections. In recent years, only 
Chinese (Mandarin), Arabic, and Spanish remained along with English and 
French.


RCI was transformed into a much smaller internet-based operation 
consisting of three people per language section.


In December 2020, the domestic public broadcaster CBC / Radio-Canada 
announced that the English and French sections of RCI would close for 
good in May.


In their place curated stories from the domestic English and French 
public broadcaster will be provided.
A manager will now oversee the staff of eight who will adapt curated 
stories from the CBC and Radio-Canada into Mandarin, Arabic, and 
Spanish, along with Punjabi and Tagalog.


An effort was and is being made by the RCI Action Committee to preserve 
and even expand the service which has garnered great support from a 
former prime minister, former diplomats and many academics, but the end 
date has come.


This is the last entry by the RCI English section.From the English 
Section consisting of Lynn, Marc, and Levon, we thank you for having 
shared our stories over these many years.


https://www.rcinet.ca/en/2021/05/14/rci-english-section-goodbye/ 




Mike
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[HCDX] Pop Shop Radio - extra broadcast this Sunday 16 May 2021

[Mike Terry via Hard-Core-DX]

Tony Pavick 
To: c...@groups.io;
14/05/21 17:22











Due to technical issues at Channel 292 Pop Shop Radio was not 
transmitted on 9670 khz with the North America beam this past Wednesday. 
As a result, an extra broadcast will take place at 1500 UTC on 9670 this 
Sunday 16 May 2021 on the beam to North America. Our normal Saturday 
broadcast to North America will go out as usual on 9670 at 2100 UTC on 
Saturday 15 May.
Reception on this side of the Atlantic of 9670 has been particularly 
good as of late. My monitoring via Kiwi SDRs has shown reception from 
all along the east coast in North America and as far west as Chilliwack 
BC. In addition there has been a fairly good signal in Brazil and the 
Caribbean. A real treat this past week was a direct non-SDR reception 
report from Cuba of 9670.


So -- reception reports most appreciated not only on 9670, but as well 
as for 3955 -- and 6070. (3955 has been heard in the Caribbean as well 
in Europe and North East Africa!)



OH -- BTW -- This show will be our special salute to the Eurovision Song 
Contest and QSLs will have a Eurovision logo on them


Tony
Pop Shop Radio


Hope BCl 



Mike
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[HCDX] Slovenia - local radio

[Mike Terry via Hard-Core-DX]

Ljubljana, 14 May - Local radio stations will be able to switch from 
analogue to digital broadcasting under amendments to the media act that 
the National Assembly passed in a unanimous vote on Friday.

(The rest of this news item is available to subscribers.)

https://english.sta.si/2900850/path-open-for-local-radio-stations-to-switch-to-digital 



Mike
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[HCDX] Radio Six Pops Up Again on Shortwave

[Mike Terry via Hard-Core-DX]

Radio World
By Paul McLane
July 21, 2020

Radio Six International has not been a full-time shortwave broadcaster for some 
time. But after two recent live broadcasts on 6070 kHz prompted by the 
pandemic, it says it will continue monthly broadcasts at least for now.

Radio World visited electronically with Tony Currie.

RW: Is this a new offering? What has been the response to it?

Tony Currie: We thought that during the COVID epidemic it might be nice to 
reach out to our former shortwave listeners; and after the first live show in 
June, which had many emails while we were on the air and letters afterwards, we 
thought we’d give a monthly show a try, at least until the pandemic is over. If 
that’s ever the case.

Radio World: For those who don’t know, what is Radio Six International?

Currie: An international station based in Scotland, with regular listeners in 
201 countries.

It began as a schoolkids’ hobby way back in 1963 and never quite went away. It 
expanded to provide a wired service to neighbors and a care home next door … 
then started making a few syndicated programs, first for a station in Dubai, 
then KPFK in Los Angeles.

Radio Six International publishes a monthly newsletter, here with Thea Newcomb 
on the cover. (You can read it here.)

Then it turned into a place where professionals could play and try out new 
ideas. Then in 1985 it was the first commercial cable radio network in Europe … 
made syndicated programs for all sorts of stations including the BBC and 
Ukrainian state radio … and in 2000 launched a 24-hour service on cable, where 
it has remained ever since.

We are noncommercial and not-for-profit; I fund the operation. The station is 
run by a small team of professionals for the fun of it and the joy of radio, 
rather than as a money making exercise.

We play unsigned and indie music with live sessions and a fantastic team of 
very experienced specialist music professionals including John Cavanagh, Kenny 
Tosh, Ewan Spence, Todd Gordon, David Belcher, Thea Newcomb, Susan Fisher and 
Denis and Rose Blackham, as well as myself.

RW: On what platforms is it heard, and where?

Currie: Online at www.radiosix.com 24 hours a day (mp3, Ogg and AAC+ streams). 
Via World FM in New Zealand daily simulcasts (1 hour a day weekdays and between 
four and six hours on weekends); simulcasts on PCJ FM in Taiwan for four hours 
at weekends, plus syndicated to 58 AM/FM/digital stations in the UK, Australia, 
USA, and Singapore. [Find more about tuning in.]

RW: Where are the studios and where are the transmission facilities?

Disgruntled listeners crowd the door to the studio in Glasgow.

Currie: Main studio and playout center are in Glasgow, Scotland, and a 
brand-new facility on the Isle of Lismore in Scotland. The shortwave 
transmitter is at Rohrbach, Germany.

We also use studios in Edinburgh and London and have broadcast programs from 
Washington; Los Angeles; Reykjavik in Iceland; Sydney, Australia; and many live 
location broadcasts including one from a former pirate radio ship at sea, which 
was broadcast live on shortwave.

RW: What role does shortwave play in your overall strategy?

Currie: It’s a bonus — our main outlet is the internet, followed by 
syndication, but it’s nice to broadcast live to people who still use analog 
radio sets.

We launched on shortwave in December 2003 with monthly programs, and for a 
period from August 2004 until July 2005 we were broadcasting on shortwave 
daily, followed by weekly transmissions until the end of 2008.

Since then there have been a few sporadic shortwave broadcasts.

RW: What impact has COVID-19 had on your own operations?

Currie: None at all

RW: You mentioned that you’ve had interest in QSL cards, what should readers 
know about that?

Currie: We are always delighted to receive reception reports, and send an 
e-card free of charge or a printed QSL card on receipt of a dollar or euro. 
Email lett...@radiosix.com for an e-card or write to Radio Six International, 
21 Sherbrooke Avenue, Glasgow G41 4HF, Scotland for a printed card and a free 
copy of our program schedule.

http://www.radioworld.com/global/radio-six-pops-up-again-on-shortwave
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[HCDX] 75 years of Radio Canada International

[Mike Terry via Hard-Core-DX]

It was February 25, 1945 that the CBC International Service began shortwave 
broadcasting to Europe. It was designed at the time to provide accurate news to 
occupied areas in

English French and German, and to provide news from home for the huge 
contingent of Canadian military personnel serving and fighting in the Second 
World War.

Since then the “IS” has gone through a variety of changes, including the name 
which was changed to Radio Canada International in 1970.  It has been through 
several moves, from its first location in a former brothel, to the converted 
Ford Hotel a few years later, to rented office tower space, to the main 
headquarters of the French service, Radio-Canada.

QSL cards such as this one from 1964 were collectors items for shortwave 
listeners around the world, but also an important way for technicians to verify 
the quality and reach of the signals to places around the world. RCI still gets 
requests for QSL cards, but as we no longer have a mail room, nor broadcast on 
shortwave, there are no more QSL cards. (SWLing Post)

It has also gone through a number of language-service changes, from 14 
languages during the cold war broadcasting to formerly free countries then 
under the control of Moscow, to its current five languages, Mandarin, Spanish, 
Arabic, English and French.

RCI offices today in the lower level of the French language headquarters of 
Radio-Canada in Montreal ( Leo Gimeno-RCI)

Other changes include the drastic cuts of 2012 which saw some 80 per cent of 
staff cut and the cessation of shortwave to become its current online operation.

Throughout it all RCI continues to inform on Canadian issues including 
political, scientific, cultural and societal and provide Canadian viewpoints 
and positions on world affairs.

More here:

https://www.rcinet.ca/en/2020/02/25/anniversary-of-radio-canada-international-75-today/
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[HCDX] WRTH 2020 B19 updates

[Mike Terry via Hard-Core-DX]

Mauno Ritola posted in the WRTH Facebook group:

Dear WRTH reader,
A pdf of updates to the B19 schedules in the International section of WRTH 2020 
is now available. Visit Updates and click the "International Updates" link to 
download the file from the WRTH store.
 
If you haven't yet got your copy of WRTH 2020 you can buy one NOW using this 
link.
 
Readers in North America can also order copies from Universal Radio or 
Amazon.com.
Please take a few minutes to give us your thoughts about WRTH on the 2020 
Questionnaire.
 
I hope you find the update useful.
 
Best wishes,
 
Nicholas Hardyman
Publisher
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