Radio Australia: Saturday Night Country

As on many Saturdays, this morning, I sipped my coffee while listening to ABC’s Saturday Night Country from Radio Australia’s Shepparton shortwave transmission site on 9.58 MHz…some 9,800 miles from my home.

In this program, Catherin Britt continues to fill in for Felicity Urquhart (who is on maternity leave).

I captured a two hour broadcast which you can download by clicking here or simply listening via the embedded player below. 

Radio Australia's Saturday Night Country
Thomas

Voice of Greece

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For your listening pleasure: a recording of the Voice of Greece made Tuesday night, August 20th, starting at 23:00 UTC.

This broadcast begins with my favorite Voice of Greece station ID, then, following a little Greek commentary, resumes with an eclectic mix of music.

This is one of the few broadcasts I've heard with a substantial dose of non-Greek music. Click here to download the full recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below: 

Voice of Greece
Thomas

All India Radio: a welcome voice

Also published on The SWLing Post:

Many afternoons, I'm drawn to All India Radio on 9,445 kHz. I love what the ether does to their Bengaluru transmitting station's signal as it travels at the speed of light over 8,700 miles to my home here in the southeastern US.

Pressing hands together with a smile to greet Namaste/Namaskar – a common cultural practice in India. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Pressing hands together with a smile to greet Namaste/Namaskar – a common cultural practice in India. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

I enjoy, too, the way All India Radio announcers speak the news, in slow cadence, honoring the fine tradition of radio: "This is the general overseas service of All India Radio. It's time now for the news.  Please stand by..." I also delight in their English language news bulletins, which begin with "Namaskar."  I appreciate this--it makes it much easier for me to identify the station when listening on an analog radio like my BC-348-Q. I'm sure this makes a difference for many other listeners seeking their station, too.

I also love All India Radio--like I do the Voice of Greece--for their superb music. Where else on the shortwave dial will I hear the sitar sing, as on AIR?

But don't take my word for it. If you live in North America and Europe, when conditions are favorable, All India Radio is a favorite listening experience for many--myself obviously included.

For your listening enjoyment, here is a 30 minute recording I made of All India Radio only an hour ago on 9,445 kHz, starting at 22:00 UTC. Click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below:

 

General Overseas Service of All India Radio
Thomas

Voice of America: French service to Africa

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For your listening pleasure: a thirty minute show of Voice of America's French service to Africa. Recorded August 13, 2013 on 9.885 MHz starting at 21:00 UTC.

Click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below: 

VOA French Service to Africa
Thomas

Radio Australia: Download This Show

[Note: I originally posted this article, along with the recording, on The SWLing Post]

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While I'm passionate about shortwave radio--a technology that has, of course, been around for many decades--I also love to hear about emerging digital technologies, especially those that make our world a better place.

These days, I listen to several shows about technology, many of which are only available as a live stream or podcast (like TWIT, for example).

There are two shows, however, that I like to listen to on shortwave radio when my schedule allows.

One such show is the BBC World Service technology show, Click (formerly Digital Planet). I've listened to Click for years, and have even been interviewed on the show by its marvelous host Gareth Mitchell (click here to listen). I especially love the show's focus on technologies that have a positive impact in developing countries (hence my interview, about my non-profit, ETOW). Mitchell, I'm delighted to add, is quite the fan of shortwave radio as well, and is not afraid of reporting on technologies that are not exclusively tied to smart phones and the like.

Another show I've been listening to for a few months is Download This Show on Radio Australia. It's a fun and informative technology program and always has a great panel discussion on technology news. What I really love about this show is its take on Australian technology in particular, and how this compares with technology in the rest of the world.

Since Download This Show is broadcast via Radio Australia's Shepparton transmitting site, the signal is quite strong here in North America and easily received on portable shortwave radios.

Click here to download over two hours of Radio Australia, including Download this Show, or listen via the embedded player below. This broadcast was recorded on August 2, 2013, on 9,580 kHz, starting around 13:00 UTC.

You'll find Download This Show in the second hour of the recording, following the news headlines at 1:05.

Radio Australia
Thomas

Radio Australia's "Club Forum" 1973

 (Source: Rob Wagner)

 (Source: Rob Wagner)

Rob Wagner, VK3BVW, shares this historic recording of Radio Australia's Club Forum, from February 4th, 1973.

Below is Bob's description, taken from his blog the Mount Evelyn DX Report, with recording following:

Here's something I found a few days ago! An old cassette tape of part of Radio Australia's Club Forum program, hosted by the legendary Keith Glover. The program went to air on February 4th, 1973 (over 40 years ago). It's only the first 6 minutes of the show, with Keith reporting on the Australian Radio DX Club'sConvention '73, held in Melbourne.
Keith had been invited to the convention as a guest speaker, delivering a wonderful talk on Radio Australia's devoted listeners around the world and the role that the station played in presenting an Australian Voice internationally. For many years, the station was very popular, particularly in Asia.
Keith's Club Forum report on his visit to the convention mentions many names of enthusiastic Melbourne and Sydney DXers from that era. Keith's programs were always well-prepared, but he was able to communicate with listeners with a relaxed and very personal style......with a feeling that he was almost face-to-face with you in the same room! You can hear that style come out in this recording. Indeed for many years, Keith was one of the best-known voices on shortwave. He died in 2006.
Club Forum was a weekly program, connected to the Radio Australia Listeners Club. A special listeners certificate was available, each individual certificate having it's own membership number.
I'm making this recording public after all these years because:
1)  It may bring back memories to the "Old Folks" amongst us, of a fascinating era when the DX hobby and shortwave listening was blooming, and
2)  Just this last month, Radio Australia discontinued their Mandarin and Indonesian shortwave services - what were formerly their two biggest audiences with literally millions of listeners.
How times have changed!!
I hope you enjoy this brief glimpse into the Radio Australia of a bygone age.
Rob Wagner VK3BVW
Radio Australia "Club Forum" 1973
Robert Wagner

RNW: The Happy Station Show, 26 July 1992

Jan Oversteen sends us this recording of the Happy Station Show and comments:

"Part of the Happy Station Show from July 26, 1992. This is the broadcast in where Tom Meijer announced that Pete Meijers is going to take over the program."

Thank you for sharing this recording, Jan!  If you would like to share recordings, simply submit a recording with this form.

Happy Station Show 1992
Jan Oversteen