August 11, 2026

BBC World Service Annual Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast: June 21, 2026

August 11, 2026/ Richard Langley

A live, off-air, half-hour recording of the BBC World Service special Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast on 21 June 2026 beginning at 21:30 UTC.

The broadcast, hosted by Cerys Matthews, featured messages and music for the members of the staff of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) overwintering in Antarctica at the Rothera (Antarctic Peninsula), King Edward Point, and Bird Island (South Georgia) research stations. In addition to personal messages from family and friends, there were interviews with Professor Dame Jane Francis, Director of BAS; and Lousiane Ferlier, an archivist at the Royal Society in London who is digitizing the photographs of the first midwinter celebration during Robert Scott's discovery expedition of 1901-04. As sometimes happens, the first few words of the introduction were not transmitted: "This is the BBC World Service calling Antarctica ...".

The recording is of the transmission on 12070 kHz from the BBC's Woofferton, England, transmitting station. The sender had a registered power of 300 kW with antenna beam 182 degrees. The transmission was received on a Belka-DX receiver with a Sangean ANT-60 7-metre wire antenna outdoors in Hanwell (just outside Fredericton), New Brunswick, Canada, in pseudo-synchronous (AM2) mode with 50 Hz - 2.7 kHz bandwidth. Reception was quite good with excellent signal strength but with occasional lightning burst noise and digital utility station interference. The additional parallel frequencies of 9510 kHz from Woofferton and 9460 kHz from Ascension were heard but not as well as 12070 kHz. A studio quality, slightly longer, podcast version is available on the BBC World Service website.

August 07, 2026

Radio Exterior de España: Circa 1984-1985

August 07, 2026/ T Witherspoon

Many thanks to SRAA contributor Bruce MacDonald, who shares the following recording and notes:

Broadcaster: Radio Exterior de Espana

Date of recording: Unknown

Starting time: Unknown

Frequency: not recorded

Recorded in Hounslow, west London

Receiver and antenna: Sony portable stereo radio cassette player with built-in whip antenna

Notes: Recording from late 1984 or early 1985 of the DX programme transmitted by the English section of Radio Exterior de Esapana (REE). This was broadcast to Europe on a Sunday, but I did not record the time of transmission. I did not record the frequency, at a guess I think it would be either on the 49 or 41 metre bands.

A typical DX programme of the era, comprising mainly listening tips for hobbyist listeners and radio-related news. For example there's a short mention of the then-upcoming 1985 European DX Council conference which was held in Madrid. There is also a request for news and tips from listeners and an address for reception reports. At the end there's a very plummy English station ID.

This may be a bit of a hard listen for some due to intrusive QRM but I think accurately reflects the crowded bands back then, especially if your receiver didn't have a narrow filter.

July 31, 2026

Deutsche Welle (Interval Signal): Circa 1971

July 31, 2026/ T Witherspoon

Many thanks to SRAA contributor Dan Greenall, who shares the following recording and notes:

Broadcaster: Deutsche Welle and Radio Berlin International 1970's

Date of recording: Circa 1971

Reception location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

Receiver and antenna: Hallicrafters S-52 using a longwire antenna

Notes: During the height of the Cold War, shortwave broadcasts from both West and East Germany could be heard here in southern Ontario, Canada.

Deutsche Welle, the Voice of Germany from Cologne in the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany). Heard here with their familiar interval signal and sign on in English circa 1971.

July 24, 2026

Radio Berlin International (Interval Signal): Circa 1970

July 24, 2026/ T Witherspoon

Many thanks to SRAA contributor Dan Greenall, who shares the following recording and notes:

Broadcaster: Deutsche Welle and Radio Berlin International 1970's

Date of recording: Circa 1970

Reception location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

Receiver and antenna: Hallicrafters S-52 using a longwire antenna

Notes: During the height of the Cold War, shortwave broadcasts from both West and East Germany could be heard here in southern Ontario, Canada.

Radio Berlin International, the Voice of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) signing on with their interval signal and ID for their English language program to Great Britain and Ireland circa 1970.

July 17, 2026

ABC Melbourne (3AR & 3LO) Closedowns: Circa 1950s & November 23, 1978

July 17, 2026/ T Witherspoon

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Sarah Boucher, who shares the following recordings of two ABC Melbourne radio closedowns, captured via the ABC's domestic inland shortwave relays:

Recording 1

Broadcaster: 3AR Melbourne (ABC)

Date of recording: Circa 1950s

Shortwave relay: VLH-9 on 9.68 MHz (30.99 metres)

Notes: This is a 3AR Melbourne closedown announcement, relayed on shortwave via VLH-9 (9.68 MHz) as part of what the announcer describes as the ABC's "Northern Australian Service." During the sign-off, 3AR identifies itself as also transmitting through the regional stations 2CO Riverina, 3GI Gippsland, and 3WV Western Victoria, alongside the VLH-9 shortwave relay. The announcer then previews the following morning's shortwave frequencies: VLR-6 (6.15 MHz), VLH-11 (11.88 MHz), and VLG-15 (15.21 MHz).

The real highlight is the use of the ABC's network chimes (or "gongs") immediately before the sign-off — a once-familiar feature of ABC presentation that is rarely preserved in surviving recordings. The recording concludes with the national anthem (God Save the Queen) and a formal station closedown.

Recording 2

Broadcaster: 3LO Melbourne (ABC)

Date of recording: 23 November 1978

Shortwave relay: VLR-6 on 6.15 MHz (48.78 metres)

Mode: AM

Notes: This 3LO Melbourne closedown, relayed on shortwave via VLR-6 (6.15 MHz), is historically significant because it captures the night of Australia's nationwide AM frequency realignment to the new 9 kHz channel spacing plan, on 23 November 1978. The announcer — identified as Don Smire — advises listeners of the frequency changes taking effect that day:

Station Old frequency New frequency

3LO 770 kHz 774 kHz

3AR 620 kHz 621 kHz

3WV 590 kHz 594 kHz

3GI 830 kHz 828 kHz

The announcement also notes that the shortwave relay VLR-6 on 6.15 MHz is closing down with the network. Unlike the earlier recording, this closedown ends with Advance Australia Fair rather than God Save the Queen — reflecting the gradual transition in Australian broadcasting practice through the 1970s.

A little background: what were VLH-9 and VLR-6?

These callsigns belonged to the ABC's domestic inland shortwave network. Before satellite distribution and widespread FM coverage, the ABC used shortwave transmitters to relay its state radio services to remote parts of Australia. Victoria's network used the VLR, VLH, and VLG callsign families to rebroadcast Melbourne programming for listeners in rural and remote areas. Contemporary shortwave enthusiasts often refer to these collectively as the ABC's "Inland Shortwave Services."

A note to readers

Very little context came with these recordings, so the details above have been pieced together from the announcements themselves and what we know of ABC history. If you can add any further detail — or spot something that needs correcting — please leave a comment below. Corrections and recollections are very welcome.

July 10, 2026

Radio Sofia, Bulgaria: Circa 1984-1985

July 10, 2026/ T Witherspoon

Many thanks to SRAA contributor Bruce MacDonald, who shares the following recording and notes:

Broadcaster: Radio Sofia, Bulgaria

Date of recording: Unknown

Starting time: Unknown

Frequency: not recorded

Recorded in Hounslow, west London

Receiver and antenna: Sony portable stereo radio cassette player

Notes: A snippet from an old-school DX programme from the English service of Radio Sofia, Bulgaria. This comprises mainly listening tips for rare stations as heard in Europe. Some mention made of the time of year and solar cycle conditions as Solar Cycle 21 was drawing down to minimum, and the need for a good antenna.

I was a teenager when I made this recording, still new to the geeky hobby of shortwave listening, so I didn't log the time, frequency or date of the recording. I recorded this on a Sony radio-cassette player which had a shortwave band on the radio and had yet to save up for a Sony ICF-SW7600D.

July 04, 2026

Final Hours of BBC Four Droitwich Transmitting Station (198kHz): June 26, 2026

July 04, 2026/ T Witherspoon

Droitwich Transmitting Station (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Andy Wang, who shares the following recording and notes:

Broadcaster: BBC4

Date of recording: June 26, 2026

Starting time: 19:58UTC

Frequency: 0.198MHz

Your location: Web-interface wideband software-defined radio at the University of Twente in Enschede, The Netherlands

Your receiver and antenna: "Mini-Whip" antenna in AM mode with 9.09 kHz RF filtering

Mode: AM

Safe for children?: Yes

Notes: BBC4 on longwave 198KHz was shutdown on 27 June 2026 at 00:00 UTC.

After the shutdown, the station is repeatedly playing the migration guide for the listeners.

I guess there are still some old electric meters that haven't been replaced, they rely on the longwave signal...

The noise in the recording is probably caused by lightning, the receiving time is in summer.

June 27, 2026

BBC Radio 4: "The Sound of Soft Power" (May 23, 2026)

June 27, 2026/ T Witherspoon

Many thanks to SRAA contributor Andrew, who shares the following recording from Radio 4.

“I chose to record the programme on one of my old radios received on the soon-to-be-discontinued Droitwich 198kHz transmitter.

The radio is a Pye Mistral (picture attached) which was (almost) the first radio that I even had around 1972. It might even be tuned to the right place on the dial ("Radio 2", 1500m). That was the station that was broadcast on that wavelength back then.

It is not a well-performing radio, but it has a wide-ish audio bandwidth and the recording is probably as nice-sounding as it can be on LW - that warm AM sound that you refer to in the programme. Reception was on the radio's internal ferrite rod aerial in one of the rooms of the house here on the South Coast of the UK.”

This recording captures a special edition of BBC Radio 4’s The Sound of Soft Power, a documentary exploring the cultural, political, and emotional legacy of international broadcasting and shortwave radio. The programme weaves together archival recordings, listener memories, and contemporary reflections on a medium that once connected the world across borders and ideologies.

The documentary also makes extensive use of recordings preserved in the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive, highlighting the importance of preserving off-air recordings as historical documents. In addition, SRAA curator Thomas Witherspoon is interviewed during the programme, discussing both the archive itself and the enduring fascination many listeners still have with shortwave broadcasting.

While this is not an off-air shortwave recording in the traditional sense, it is very much connected to the history and culture of shortwave listening. Andrew’s decision to record the programme from BBC Radio 4 Longwave using a vintage Pye Mistral receiver adds another layer of radio history to the experience — capturing the broadcast with the characteristic warmth and ambience of longwave AM reception just as the Droitwich 198 kHz transmitter approaches the end of its service life.

For those interested in radio history, international broadcasting, and the sounds of the shortwave era, this programme is well worth hearing.

This recording is being published on 27 June 2026 to mark the closure of the BBC Radio 4 Long Wave service from Droitwich on 198 kHz, bringing to a close one of the United Kingdom’s longest-running and most historically significant AM broadcast transmissions.

June 24, 2026

CHU Canada: Four Recordings Including Final Moments Transmitting on June 22, 2026

June 24, 2026/ T Witherspoon

CHU Transmitting Site in Ottawa, Canada (Source: NRC)

Many thanks to several SRAA contributors who have shared recordings of CHU Canada during its final days as a shortwave time signal station.

This first recording was sent to us via Ronald McKinnon and is the National Research Council’s own recording of the final minutes of CHU on the air. Here are the notes that accompanied this recording:

Broadcaster: National Research Council CHU

Date of recording: June 22, 2026

Starting time: 14:08:00 UTC

Frequency: 3.33 MHz

Location: Ottawa, ON Canada

Receiver and antenna: Raddy RF320 with built-in antenna

Notes: This is a recording of the last few minutes of the NRC CHU time signal over shortwave at 3.33MHz.It was recorded on June 22, 2026 just as the broadcast was being shut down. The broadcast had been in operation in one form or another for over 90 years. The recording was made from just outside the station in Ottawa in order to obtain maximum signal quality.The NRC's home page about this station:

https://nrc.canada.ca/en/certifications-evaluations-standards/canadas-official-time/nrc-shortwave-station-broadcasts-chu

SRAA contributor, Bryce Belcher, shared the following recording of CHU with notes:

Broadcaster: CHU

Date of recording: June 21, 2026

Starting time: 0:12 UTC

Frequency: 3330 kHz

Reception location: Washington, D.C

Your receiver and antenna: Na5b websdr

Notes: This is my last-ever recording of CHU Canada, as they have shut down all the transmitters today, June 22. Recorded with the Websdr na5b located in DC. https://na5b.com:8901

SRAA contributor, Emilio, shared this longer recording with notes:

Freq: 7850 kHz

Date: Friday, 5 June 2026

Time: 17 UTC

SINPO: 45343

RX Grid locator: EK36kp

State: Chiapas

Country: Mexico

Receiver: Kenwood R-600

Antenna: long wire about 10 meters.

Recorded by: Carlos Emilio Ruiz Llaven

SRAA contributor, Jerry Johnston, shares his recording with these notes:

The recording starts at 1359 UTC, so the final pip occurs just after 11 minutes. Frequency was 7850 kHz, USB mode to reduce noise. This was recorded in Lexington, KY. A storm had just passed, so local noise was high. I let it run another 5 minutes to get the pirate activity.

June 22, 2026

BBC Midwinter Broadcast to Antarctica: June 21, 2026

June 22, 2026/ T Witherspoon

This is the BBC Midwinter Broadcast to Antarctica recorded on June 21, 2026 at 09:30 UTC in Foulden, Scotland, UK. The radio was an Elecraft KX2 connected to a 31-foot 9:1 random wire antenna in the back garden. The broadcast starts on 9460 kHz, but I then move to 12070 kHz because it had slightly less local noise.

Personal note

The BBC Midwinter Broadcast remains one of my favorite SWLing events of the year. I simply love the idea that the BBC would broadcast from two different sites on three different frequencies via shortwave to a relatively small audience of British Antarctic Survey scientists wintering over in Antarctica.

It's always a joy to listen live, knowing that they're celebrating midwinter with parties at their stations and hearing the voices, messages, laughter, and well-wishes of loved ones carried to them over the air by shortwave radio.

In an age of instant communications, there's still something magical about that.

June 18, 2026

Xing Xing Guangbo Diantai (Star Star Broadcasting Station): March 16, 2026

June 18, 2026/ T Witherspoon

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Dan Greenall, who shares the following recording and notes:

Broadcaster: Xing Xing Guangbo Diantai (Star Star Broadcasting Station)

Date of recording: March 16, 2026

Starting time: 2358

Frequency: 19.052

Your location: Thailand

Your receiver and antenna: Kiwi SDR with Wellbrook loop

Mode: Single Side Band

Safe for children?: Yes

Notes: This is a "numbers station" broadcasting in Mandarin Chinese, presumably sending encrypted messages to Taiwanese intelligence agents in mainland China, from Taiwan. It appears to follow a set daily schedule, and begins each transmission with the tune of a Chinese folk song played on a flute. This is followed by station ID, given twice, and a few announcements in Mandarin, then a sequence of numbers read in groups of four. An excellent article about this station can be found on the Mount Evelyn DX Report written by Rob Wagner VK3BVW in May 2025.

June 11, 2026

Radio Sandino (Managua, Nicaragua): March 25, 1984

June 11, 2026/ T Witherspoon

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Paul Harner, who shares the following recording and notes:

Broadcaster: Radio Sandino, Managua, Nicaragua

Date of recording: March 25, 1984

Starting time: 0730z/1:30 AM local time

Frequency: 6200 kHz

RX location: St. Louis, MO

Receiver and antenna: Sony ICF-2001, longwire

June 04, 2026

Rádio Nacional da Amazônia: August 14, 1984

June 04, 2026/ T Witherspoon

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Paul Harner, who shares the following recording and notes:

Broadcaster: Radio Nacional Da Amazonas

Date of recording: August 14, 1984

Starting time: 0809z

Frequency: 6180 kHz

Reception location: St.Louis, MO

Receiver and antenna: Icom IC R-71-A

May 28, 2026

Israel Broadcasting Authority, Jerusalem: Circa 1971

May 28, 2026/ T Witherspoon

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Dan Greenall, who shares the following recording and notes:

Broadcaster: Israel Broadcasting Authority, Jerusalem 1971

Date of recording: Circa 1971

Starting time: 2130 UTC

Frequency: 9.625 MHz

Reception location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

Receiver and antenna: Hallicrafters S-52 using a longwire antenna

Mode: AM

Notes: The Israel Broadcasting Authority used to broadcast in various languages on shortwave in the early 1970's. Their English language transmission to Europe could often be heard well here in southern Ontario, Canada between 2045 and 2130 hours UTC on 9625 kHz. Here is a recording made circa 1971 as they concluded their program in English and switched to French at 2130 hours UTC.

The second recording is also circa 1971. It begins with their interval signal, then sign on announcement in English.

May 21, 2026

Rádio Nacional da Amazônia: July 16, 2025

May 21, 2026/ T Witherspoon

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Liam Spencer, who shares the following recording and notes:

Broadcaster: Radio Nacional da Amazonia

Date of recording: July 16, 2025

Starting time: 00:05 UTC

Frequency: 11.780 MHz

Reception location: Berthoud, Colorado, USA

Receiver and antenna: Sihuadon D-808 with telescopic antenna

Mode: AM

Notes: Here's a recording pulled from my radio archive of Radio Nacional da Amazonia from Brazil on the shortwave frequency on 11.780 MHz from July 16th, 2025. What's interesting is that this was recorded on a weekday, and usually, back-to-back music is not heard on weekday evening programming. Along with the announcers who are usually high energy are not in this recording. Around 20 minutes in, I stopped recording and resumed recording at 01:05 UTC until the end of the recording.

April 18, 2026

V32 Persian/Farsi Numbers Station: March 16, 2026

April 18, 2026/ T Witherspoon

Many thanks to SRAA contributor Dan Greenall, who shares the following recording and notes:

On March 16, I listened to V32 using the SV1BTL SDR in Athens, Greece. The voice came on at exactly 1800 UTC, but right up to 1759, the bubble jammer was being heard on that frequency. There did not appear to be any jamming during the actual "broadcast". The signal was very strong, averaging 20 dB over 9. At 1823 UTC, there were 12 users listening on this particular SDR, and 8 of them were tuned to 8742 kHz!

April 11, 2026

V32 Persian/Farsi Numbers Station: March 15, 2026

April 11, 2026/ T Witherspoon

Many thanks to SRAA contributor Dan Greenall, who shares the following recording and notes:

I made the following recording (March 15, 2026 at 1822 UTC on 7842 kHz USB)) of V32 using a Kiwi SDR in Alvito, Italy. The "tavajjoh" (3X) announcement comes around the 6:09 mark, after which the numbers seem to run together more, rather than distinct groups of 5.

March 28, 2026

Radio Ghana: Circa 1971

March 28, 2026/ T Witherspoon

Many thanks to SRAA contributor Dan Greenall, who shares the following recording and notes:

Broadcaster: Radio Ghana circa 1971

Frequency: 11.850

Recption location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

Receiver and antenna: Hallicrafters S-52 using a longwire antenna

Notes: Back in 1971, Radio Ghana from Accra had an external service, this one beamed to North America and the Caribbean on 11.850 MHz shortwave. Here are two brief recordings of their drum interval signal followed by sign on in English.

March 21, 2026

Radio Farda (Being Actively Jammed): January 28, 2026

March 21, 2026/ T Witherspoon

Many thanks to SRAA contributor Jim Jordan, who shares the following recording of Radio Farda being actively jammed. Jim also shares these notes:

Broadcaster: Radio Farda

Date of recording: January 28, 2026

Starting time: 1700 UTC

Frequency: 7.5 MHz

Your location: NW UK

Your receiver and antenna: Lowe HF 150 plus 50m random

Notes: A bit reminiscent of trying to listen to Radio Liberty during the Cold War

March 18, 2026

Xing Xing Guangbo Diantai (Star Star Broadcasting Station): March 16, 2026

March 18, 2026/ T Witherspoon

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Dan Greenall, who shares the following recording and notes:

Broadcaster: Xing Xing Guangbo Diantai (Star Star Broadcasting Station)

Date of recording: March 16, 2026

Starting time: 2358 UTC

Frequency: 19.052 MHz

Receiver location: Thailand

Receiver and antenna: Kiwi SDR with Wellbrook loop

Mode: Single Side Band

The Shortwave Radio Audio Archive

The Shortwave Radio Audio Archive

The Archive

The Shortwave Radio Audio Archive

BBC World Service Annual Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast: June 21, 2026

Radio Exterior de España: Circa 1984-1985

Deutsche Welle (Interval Signal): Circa 1971

Radio Berlin International (Interval Signal): Circa 1970

ABC Melbourne (3AR & 3LO) Closedowns: Circa 1950s & November 23, 1978

Recording 1

Recording 2

A little background: what were VLH-9 and VLR-6?

A note to readers

Radio Sofia, Bulgaria: Circa 1984-1985

Final Hours of BBC Four Droitwich Transmitting Station (198kHz): June 26, 2026

BBC Radio 4: "The Sound of Soft Power" (May 23, 2026)

CHU Canada: Four Recordings Including Final Moments Transmitting on June 22, 2026

BBC Midwinter Broadcast to Antarctica: June 21, 2026

Xing Xing Guangbo Diantai (Star Star Broadcasting Station): March 16, 2026

Radio Sandino (Managua, Nicaragua): March 25, 1984

Rádio Nacional da Amazônia: August 14, 1984

Israel Broadcasting Authority, Jerusalem: Circa 1971

Rádio Nacional da Amazônia: July 16, 2025

V32 Persian/Farsi Numbers Station: March 16, 2026

V32 Persian/Farsi Numbers Station: March 15, 2026

Radio Ghana: Circa 1971

Radio Farda (Being Actively Jammed): January 28, 2026

Xing Xing Guangbo Diantai (Star Star Broadcasting Station): March 16, 2026

The Shortwave Radio Audio Archive