The Samoan Earthquakes and the Early Radio Scene in American Samoa
American Samoa is a small group of small islands in the exotic South Pacific with a total land area of only 76.8 square miles, a little more than the area of Washington DC. There are five main islands, and two coral atolls, with a population of 45,000, most of whom are bilingual in both Samoan and English.
ARAMCO Radio in Saudi Arabia and BFBS radio programming in Nepal
The earliest beginnings for ARAMCO Radio in Dhahran Saudi Arabia can be traced back to the late 1930s when the Arabian American Oil Company played music over a set of loud speakers that were installed at a company swimming pool. The Arabian American Oil Company was established in 1933 and with its exponential growth it has become the largest and most valuable commercial company in the world.
Nepal Earthquake: The Current Radio Scene in Nepal
The current radio scene in Nepal indicates that the most significant form of radio coverage in Nepal is achieved by more than 500 FM stations; government owned, commercial, and community stations. Programming is on the air in a multitude of local and regional languages, and also in English, Hindi and Urdu for wide area coverage. Off air relays in several languages from the BBC in London are also heard on some FM stations.
Early Music Recordings from ZJV Suva
Some early recordings of Fijian music made by station ZJV Suva.
DW Turns 70
To mark their 70th anniversary German broadcaster DW (Deutsche Welle) published this video report on their website.
A Tour of Asia’s Oldest Radio Station
A tour of Asia’s oldest radio station, which introduced Sri Lanka and India to Elvis Presley, is a journey through broadcast history.
No All India Radio, Only Akashvani Henceforth Says Govt Diktat
All India Radio is going off air. It is being replaced by Akashvani. The next radio bulletin that you listen to in English on the government-run service will begin with the announcement, “This is Akashvani” in place of “this is All India Radio.”
Radio Alhara – No Limits
Radio Alhara was launched in 2020 as a way for five friends to stay in touch during the coronavirus lockdowns. It was initially broadcast from Bethlehem, Ramallah and Amman but now you’ll hear presenters and DJs from around the world.
American Shortwave Stations on the Air in 1926
During the year 1926, a total of five American shortwave broadcasting stations were on the air, though generally with relay programming from the mediumwave parent station, as was the case back then.
Interview with Gustavo de Faria Franco
Martin Butera (PT2ZDX – LU9EFO), visited LABRE (Liga de Amadores Brasileiros de Radio Emissão), to interview the new Vice President and Treasurer of IARU region 2.
Radio Weddings: Gleason Golden Wedding Interview
On six previous occasions here in Wavescan, we have presented interesting information about Radio Weddings, weddings that were broadcast live over a radio broadcasting station. Down there in Jacksonville Florida, Wendy Heape came across some of the information about our presentations of Radio Weddings, and she made contact.
Ocean Island
Back in the year 1908, just eight years after Marconi inaugurated his first permanent wireless station in England, the Pacific Phosphate Company announced that they hoped a wireless station could be installed on Ocean Island. During the following year (1909), another announcement indicated that the wireless station would be capable of long distant transmission. In addition, the specific location on Ocean Island for the projected station would need to be approved by a Wireless Engineer, they said.
American Shortwave Stations – 1928
At the beginning of the year 1928, there were six international shortwave stations on the air in the United States
The Sun, Radio Propagation and the Brasilia Planetarium
Martin Butera takes a look at how the sun impacts radio propagation, with a bonus photo-tour of the Brasilia Planetarium.
The Saga of Radio Antwerpen
During the 1920s and 1930s, a multitude of small radio broadcasting stations (some formal though most were informal), took to the air throughout Belgium, rather like what was happening in many other countries throughout the world. The stations in Belgium were installed in private homes, business locations, church buildings, and even out in the fields; wherever was convenient.
Coffee and Radio – with Ivan Dias
Today Coffee and Radio brings you an interview with DXer Ivan Dias
Dario Monferini – RIP
Italian DXer Daro Monferini has died after a long illness. The death of Dario Monferini has come as a shock to those involved in shortwave radio. Blogs announced the passing of Dario on the morning of October 17, 2022, after the news was spread rapidly via social media. Dario was a well-known DXer worldwide whose contribution to the hobby is well-documented.
Disney AFRS Poster
In 2022 Susan Knisley found this in a cabin in Athol, ID. She sent it to us and we added it to our collection of Long Lost Radio History Images.
3XY and the Falling Door
Back on April 19, 1944, there was a military parade through the downtown streets of Melbourne city with soldiers marching, a musical band from the Royal Air Force playing, and aircraft flying in formation overhead. A prominent announcer from radio station 3XY, Alwyn Kurts, was in one of the accompanying aircraft and he was describing for listeners what he was observing in the parade on the city streets below.
High School Radio Is Alive and Well at WMTN
The low power station in Tennessee was recently outfitted with all-new tech and gear. By Elle Kehres ⋅ RadioWorld
Radio Dunedin at 100
In 2022 New Zealand radio station “Radio Dunedin” celebrates 100 years of broadcasting. The station was launched in late 1922, becoming the first radio station in New Zealand.
A tour of ZW5B: One of the largest DX contest stations in South America
Our columnist in South America, Martín Butera, presents us with an interesting tour of this impressive South American contest station. With more than 10 towers and large stacked single band yagis, this is one of the most consistent calls in global and national contests.
Coffee and Radio – with Denis Zoqbi
Denis Zoqbi, born in the capital of Sao Paulo, is one of the most influential Dxers in Brazil, he became known in Brazilian and Latin American Dxsism for developing a very economical loop antenna with very good reception performance, thanks to that he founded the company called Stars Telecom, a company that has been in Brazil for more than 20 years and has already sold thousands of antennas inside and outside of Brazil.
The Radio Scene at the End of the Highway
The July (2022) issue of the Australian DX News presents an interesting story about plans for an amateur DXpediton to the Grassy Hill Lighthouse overlooking the small northern town of Cooktown, at the end of the highway in far northern Queensland. This readable feature article reminds us that there have been three different eras associated with the radio scene in Cooktown.
Radio Tirana’s Kiwi Connection
During 2022 several articles appeared in New Zealand media looking at a New Zealand woman who worked as an announcer for Albania’s Radio Tirana English service during the Communist era. We take a look at some of them here in this feature.
American Radio Stations in New Zealand
Additional interesting information about American radio stations in New Zealand, back during the World War 2 era, and also subsequently.
American Radio Stations in New Zealand: The 1ZM Story
During the Pacific War in the middle of last century, American forces poured into the South Pacific by the million, with multitudes coming into Auckland also, for Rest & Refreshment and also as a staging area before transferring into the islands to the north. In prewar days, the American army officer Major Purnell H. Gould had been employed at radio station WFBR in Baltimore MD, and he was subsequently appointed as the regional commander for American forces entertainment radio stations in the Pacific.
Return to the Radio Scene in Bulgaria
We present the story about the huge radio broadcasting station that was erected at Vakarel back in the era before the beginning of World War 2. Vakarel is a small town some 25 miles south east of the national capital Sophia with a population of less than two thousand.
AIR Kurseong Celebrates 60 Years
The Kurseong station of All India Radio Radio is located at an altitude of 4800 feet and it was inaugurated by the then Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Dr. B. Gopala Reddy in June 1962. Since then AIR Kurseong has taken a programming relay from other AIR radio broadcasting stations, and it also fosters the development of local talent in order to preserve the rich cultural values and traditions of the region.
Radio Station 2CM: The Very First Radio Broadcasting Station in Australia
According to radio historians, the very first radio broadcasting license in Australia was awarded to Charles Maclurcan due to his regular Sunday evening broadcasts over experimental amateur station 2CM. The program content for each weekly broadcast was published in a radio magazine in advance, and each program was avidly followed by anywhere up to 5,000 listeners each week.
PBS in the Philippines on Shortwave
During its more than three quarters of a century of on air shortwave service, PBS, the Philippine Broadcasting Service has always been quite tenuous, even at its very best. Radio Philippinas, the shortwave service of the Voice of the Philippines, has at times been dependent upon borrowed facilities and donated equipment, sometimes quite old, and sometimes no longer reliable.
Lighthouse Radio in Australia
The second lighthouse in the waters of South Australia was constructed on Althorpe Island in 1879, and in 1925, the appointed lighthouse manger took his own informal amateur radio equipment ashore with him. He communicated with mediumwave broadcasting station 5CL in Adelaide, and conveyed his appreciation for the broadcast of their radio programming…
The Radio Scene During the 1937 Ohio River Flood
The 1937 water flooding in the city of Cincinnati Ohio is described as the worst natural disaster ever in the lengthy 175 year history of the city. On January 5, 1937 water levels along the Ohio River began to rise, and local populations were becoming alarmed.
Special Report on Brazil’s First WebSDR Public Reception Station
Brazilian amateur radio also had its heyday, where several high-level technicians were created and brought communication to isolated corners of a giant country with continental distances such as Brazil. But times have changed, other communication technologies have been developed, giving way to WebSDR, today here we will know one of the most complete in the world and it is located in the interior of the city of São Paulo, Brazil.
Coffee and Radio – with Thiago Pereira Machado
Martin Butera chats with Brazilian DXer and plane spotter Thiago Pereira Machado.