The Pineapple Network

This article was originally aired over Adventist World Radio’s “Wavescan” program and now forms part of the Radio Heritage Collection ©. All rights reserved to Ragusa Media Group, PO Box 14339, Wellington, New Zealand. This material is licenced on a non-exclusive basis to the South Pacific DX Resource hosted on www.radiodx.com for a period of 5 years from December 1 2003. Author: Adrian Peterson

A radio network called the “Pineapple Network”? Where ever could that be located? If you guessed “Hawaii” as your answer, then that would be correct. But, what is known about this unique radio network that was on the air in the middle of last century.

Actually, very little is known about the Pineapple Network, and even this information lay quietly at rest until New Zealander David Riquish made a visit to old time DXer Ray Crawford in Brisbane, Queensland. As they were reminiscing about the past, they came across a reference to the Pineapple Network in the old radio club magazine. “Skyrider” in the issue dated for January & Febrauary 1948.

In this brief reference about the Pineapple Network, mention is made of two mediumwave stations in Hawaii operated by AFRS, the American Forces Radio Service. Station WVTZ (American Zee) is listed in Hawaii on 1300 kHz, and another station is listed on the island of Oahu on 1260 kHz.

Research into other radio magazines and publications of that era indicate that there was indeed a network of AFRS mediumwave stations in Hawaii for a few years beginning in mid 1945. The key station was WVTZ which was operated by the Marine Corps at Ewa on the capital city isiand of Oahua. This station operated on 1360 kHz, though this channel was changed later to 1300 kHz.

Other AFRS stations in the area that relayed the main programming from WVTZ were listed on six other mediumwave frequencies. All seven of these stations carried the same WVTZ programming and they were all located on the same island, Oahu.

Several of these low powered AFRS stations in Hawaii were heard in the United States, New Zealand and Australia, including the one on 1350 kHz which identified on air simply as “Station B”.

During the years just before and just after the end of the Pacific War, all of the AFRS stations in the Central Pacific were loosely designated as the “Pacific Ocean Network”. The two other AFRS networks in the Pacific at the time were designated as the “Mosquito Network” and the “Jungle Network”.

There is no other known reference to the “Pineapple Network”, though it is quite clear that this network was in Hawaii and that station WVTZ was the key station for this network. It would be suggested then that the term “Pineapple Network” was either an official or unofficial designation for the AFRS stations of the Pacific Ocean Network that were located in Hawaii.

It should be mentioned also that AFRS programming was heard on shortwave from two other stations in Hawaii during the same era. The Voice of America transmitters, KRHO & KRHK, regularly carried AFRS programming. In addition, the Army Signal Corps transmitters, WTV & WTJ, were also noted with relays of AFRS programming to the Jungle & Mosquito Networks.

AFRS Pineapple Network

References

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Station Information & Reference
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AFRS Relays on local stations in Hawaii
Relays via local mediumwave stations began 1943; DeLay 448
KGMB KGU Honolulu, KHBC Hilo, KTOH Lihue relay AFRTS; DeLay 453
KTOH Lihue 1490 250 w relay KWID to UB forces; RH 79.12 3-44 34

AFRS Stations
AFRS stations in Hawaii, not identified; YB 84.200 199 & 211
905 kHz Oahu 905 kHz, relay WVTZ; FIBS 1949 111 YB 84.200 211
1220 kHz Oahu 1220 kHz, relay WVTZ; RH 77.10 10-45 34
1245 kHz Oahu 1245 kHz, relay WVTZ; FIBS 1949 111 YB 84.200 211
1290 kHz Oahu 1290 kHz, relay WVTZ; FIBS 1949 111 YB 84.200 211
1350 kHz Station B Hawaii 1350 kHz; R&H 77.10 10-45 34
Station B Oahu 1340 kHz relay WVTZ; RH 79.13 11-45 34
1360 kHz WVTZ Ewa Oahu 1360 Marine Corps Sep 45 – Mar 46; RH 12-45
WVTZ Oahu 1360 kHz; R&H 77.10 10-45 34
WVTZ Oahu Marine Corps 1360 kHz; RH 79.13 3-46 47
WVTZ Oahu 1360; LI 79.24 16-3-46
WVTZ Ewa 1360; LI 79.24 16-3-46; 30-4-46
WVTZ AFRS Oahu 1360; ATC document collection
WVTZ 1360; Broadcasting Stations of World US War Dept 1946
1400 kHz AFRS Oahu 1400 kHz; R&H 77.10 10-45 34
1570 kHz KBAY US Air Force 10 m from Honolulu 12 w; RH 79.16 9-69 180

AFRS Pacific Ocean Network
AFRS Hawaii, part of Pacific Ocean Network; YB 84.200 B 21-1-46

AFRS Pineapple Network
1260 kHz AFRS Oahu approx 1260; ADXRC Skyrider 1/2 48, NZDXT 10-02
1300 kHz WVTZ Hawaii; ADXRC Skyrider Jan/Feb 1948, NZDXT 10-02 7

AFRS Shortwave
WTV 32.70 relay to Jungle & Mosquito Networks; LI 3-2-45
WTJ Army Signal Corps; RN 12-46 94