QSL courtesy of @UKDXer
Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Rajdeep Das for this recording of Radio Canada International's final shortwave radio broadcast. This recording was made on June 24, 2012 beginning at 1550 UTC on 11,675 kHz.
Listeners will note that the broadcast ends abruptly during the mailbag program--obviously the transmitters were turned off prematurely.
For your listening pleasure: beHAVior Night, a shortwave radio show (relayed by WBCQ) dedicated to showcasing music from the first four decades of the 20th Century.
This show was recorded on 7,490 kHz, starting at 22:00 UTC on February 13, 2015.
30 January 1991, 23:00 UTC, 7400 kHz
Strong signal. The recording begins with a few seconds of music from the previous transmission on this frequency. Then, after about one minute (there was no IS), the Radio Vilnius transmission starts with the beginning of the patriotic song “Lietuvninkai Mes Esam Gim?” (Lithuanians We Are Born) and an introduction stating that the broadcast is coming “from the capital of the independent Republic of Lithuania.” This is followed by “News About Lithuania” including items on further acts of violence by Soviet troops and severe winter weather. Then, there are reports on Lithuanian-Polish relations and the work of the commission on Soviet aggression. Next is an eye-witness report on the attack on the TV tower on the night of 13 January, a report on the current feelings of Lithuanians under occupation, and how music and the arts keep the people going. During the recording, the receiver was briefly tuned to other Radio Vilnius frequencies to check on signal quality. In addition to 7400 kHz, only 9750 and 17690 kHz could be heard.
13 January 1991, 23:00 UTC, 9750 kHz
Strong signal on this and other frequencies usually received except 17690 kHz; only background noise on that frequency. However, there was no Radio Vilnius transmission on any frequency. It had been replaced by light classical and contemporary orchestral music. No IS or announcement of any kind. Music was faded out at 29m:03s before ending. During the recording, the receiver was briefly tuned to other Radio Vilnius frequencies to check on signal quality.
12 January 1991, 23:00 UTC, 9750 kHz
Strong signal. Initial mix-up of interval signals. The first IS is believed to be that of Moskovskaya Radio, the Russian Service of Radio Moscow, followed by a bit of the Radio Moscow World Service IS, and then finally the Radio Vilnius IS. The transmission begins with the statement “We’re still broadcasting from Vilnius.” This is followed by the Lithuanian news reporting on the acts of aggression of the Soviet occupying forces and “Correspondents’ Reports.” The latter includes a report that the exam session at Vilnius University has been postponed to allow students to help protect buildings from the occupation forces, including the Radio and Television Building, and a report on the restrictions on travel. The reports were interrupted with “some news just come in” about a group trying to break into the building of the Council of Ministers. The announcer subsequently reported that the attackers had been put off and so the conflict has been neutralized. The broadcast ends with the statement “We hope to be with you tomorrow again” followed by the transmission schedule and contact information. The Radio Vilnius transmission is followed by the one from Radio Minsk. News organizations reported that Soviet troops entered the Radio and Television Building about 15 minutes after this Radio Vilnius transmission.
11 January 1991, 23:00 UTC, 7400 kHz
Strong signal. Recording actually starts at about 22:58 UTC with music, the tail-end of a transmission on this frequency, likely from Radio Kiev. Some transmitter hum. Then, Radio Vilnius IS and ID. “We’re still hold up and we hope you can still hear us.” “News About Lithuania” including occupation news, commentary, and reports from the neighbouring Baltic states. Receiver briefly switched to other usual frequencies to check on signal quality (9750, 15180, 17690, and 17720 kHz; 6100 kHz not heard). Transmission ends with “And that’s all we have for our today’s broadcast, we hope not the last one, from Radio Vilnius in the Republic of Lithuania.” This is followed by the transmission schedule and contact information. After about 45 seconds, the Radio Minsk transmission begins with IS and ID.
9 April 1990, 22:00 UTC, 11770 kHz
Strong signal. Some co-channel interference from Radio Liberty. Receiver briefly switched initially to other frequencies to check signal quality during the recording. IS, ID, “News About Lithuania,” report about the Lithuanian Mission in Moscow, “Around Lithuania,” program in Esperanto (begins around 23m:08s) — a regular feature at the end of Monday broadcasts from Radio Vilnius in English. Interesting sign-off statement: “It’s goodbye and good luck.” On the recording, the Radio Vilnius transmission is followed at 29m:29s (on the same frequency), by the first approximately 15 minutes of a transmission from pro-Moscow Radio Minsk in Belorussian (now usually referred to as Belarusian). The transmission begins with the IS and ID (“Havorits Minsk … Radyjostancyja Saviecki Bielaru?”), followed by a news program.
Shortwave Radio Audio Archive contributor, Richard Langley, has digitized a set of historic off-air recordings documenting the independence of Lithuania through Radio Vilinus.
We will feature Richard's full description and comments in this first post and recording. Subsequent posts will describe each individual recording of the set.
Many thanks to Richard for this archived archived audio:
On 11 March 1990, Lithuania was the first Soviet republic to declare its independence. The Soviet Union issued an ultimatum to the Lithuanian authorities to renounce independence or suffer the consequences.
On 17 March 1990, Lithuania rejected the demand and the Soviet Union responded by applying economic sanctions and occupied parts of Vilnius, the capital city. In January 1991, the Soviets launched a larger scale operation against Lithuania. On 11 January, Soviet military units seized several building in Vilnius and elsewhere. On 12 January, civilians congregated outside some strategically important buildings such as those of the Supreme Council (the Seimas Palace), the Radio and Television Committee, the Vilnius TV Tower, and the main telephone exchange in an attempt to prevent them from falling into the hands of the Soviet military. In the early hours of 13 January, tanks and soldiers attacked the TV tower. Fourteen Lithuanians and one Russian soldier died.
Subsequently, Soviet forces surrounded and entered the Radio and Television Committee building and forced the TV station off the air. Shortly thereafter, a small TV studio in Kaunas was used to resume TV transmissions and put out a call for help. Radio transmissions were also affected. Although Soviet forces were in the vicinity of the Supreme Council building, they retreated instead of attacking. The occupation and military raids continued for several months following the attacks.
Subsequent Lithuanian-Russian negotiations resulted in the signing of a treaty on 31 January. A referendum on independence held on 9 February overwhelmingly supported the full and total independence of Lithuania. Other republics of the Soviet Union declared their independence and following the resignation speech by Mikhail Gorbachev on 25 December, the Soviet Union was dissolved the next day. The last Russian troops left Lithuania on 31 August 1993.
Radio Vilnius, the external service of Lithuanian Radio, transmitted news about events in Lithuania and the other Baltic republics even at the height of the Soviet attacks. The broadcasts were made, in part, using transmitters elsewhere in the Soviet Union. However, there was a temporary interruption in these broadcasts after the occupation of the Radio and TV Centre by Soviet troops early in the morning of 13 January. They resumed on 25 January.
Radio Nederland’s “Media Network” programs of 20 January 1991 and 14 January 1992 featured reports on Radio Vilnius and the Soviet occupation. The sound files of these programs are available on the Web (“Media Network Vintage Vault“).
I have six recordings of Radio Vilnius English Service shortwave broadcasts between March 1990 and January 1991. These were received in Hanwell, New Brunswick, Canada, using a Sony ICF-7600D receiver and supplied wire antenna draped around the listening room.
28 March 1990, 22:00 UTC, 11770 kHz (00m:00s – 00m:55s)
Strong signal. Interval signal (IS) and station identification (ID) but the transmission was cut off in mid-sentence: “This is Radio Vilnius. Hello and welcome to our daily broad” All that could be heard faintly on this frequency then was Radio Liberty in Russian (“Govorit Radio Svoboda”). Initially could hear nothing on Radio Vilnius parallel frequencies until about four minutes into the broadcast when a very faint signal on 12060 kHz could be heard (not recorded).
29 March 1990, 22:00 UTC, 12060 kHz (00m:55s – 02m:04s)
Weak signal. IS, station identification, and first part of “News About Lithuania.” Radio teletype interference. Checked other frequencies.
3 April 1990, 22:00 UTC, 17665 kHz (02m:06s – 30m:02s)
Improved signal. Receiver briefly switched to other frequencies to check quality during the recording. IS, ID, “News About Lithuania,” report on the occupation of the Lithuanian Prosecutor’s Office on Friday night (30 March), music, sports news, “Lithuanian by Radio.”
I snapped this photo of the RCI Sackville transmitter site in June 2012--several months prior to the site's closure. All of the towers seen in the background have since been demolished.
I recently discovered this off air recording of the CBC North Quebec service. This recording was made in North Carolina on October 6, 2012 on 9,625 kHz, starting around 1059 UTC.
This recording includes the North Quebec Service sign on, the TOTH CBC News and about 20 minutes of CBC Montreal's "All In A Weekend."
Sadly, the RCI Sackvillle site has now been completely closed down and all of her towers have been demolished.
For your listening pleasure: beHAVior Night, a shortwave radio show which showcases music from the first four decades of the 20th Century.
This show was recorded on Friday, January 16, 2015, beginning at 2000 UTC on 7495 kHz:
Last week, I received a message from Peter De Groot, who announced a special broadcast of Radio Netherlands Worldwide (RNW).
RNW has been off the air for more than 2.5 years, so we can assume this was not sponsored by RNW.
Though scheduling (and the fact I forgot to start a spectrum recording–!) interfered with my ability to listen to the first broadcast on January 17, I was able to catch the January 18 broadcast at 01:00 UTC on 7,570 kHz. The show was relayed by WRMI.
The broadcast came in so strong, when I heard the interval signal, it instantly transported me back to the days when Hilversum targeted eastern North America. Gave me chill bumps.
I was able to record the entire program but did not include the WRMI station ID before and after the special.
For your listening pleasure, one full hour of Radio Netherlands Worldwide via WRMI in Florida USA–click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below. Enjoy:
Many thanks to Shortwave Radio Audio Archive contributor, Richard Langley, who writes:
[The following is a] recording of the penultimate English broadcast from Radio Berlin International (RBI) and the last broadcast in the particular time slot. It was also the last broadcast of the popular DX program DX-tra.
RBI ceased broadcasting at the end of the day on 2 October 1990, the day before German reunification took place.
In addition to the final episode of DX-tra, the recording features the news (in progress as the recording starts a minute or two after 00:45), Commentary, RBI Press Review, and Spotlight on Sport. There are several “goodbye” songs including “The Final Countdown” by the Swedish hard rock band Europe, and “Goodbye Blue Sky” by Pink Floyd and some announcer goodbye comments like “the voice of the disappearing German Democratic Republic,” “that was it,” and “the last day of the good old GDR.”
The 45-minute recording ends with the familiar RBI interval signal and, at 01:30 UTC, the first part of the German-language transmission, also the last in its time slot.
This recording was made in Hanwell, NB, Canada, with a Sony ICF-7600D receiver and supplied wire antenna draped around Richard’s home office. This recording begins around 0045 UTC, October 2, 1990 on a frequency of 9,730 kHz.
Click here to download this recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below:
One of the advantages of hosting a contributor-driven shortwave radio audio archive, is receiving off-air recordings of defining moments in our world history. This is certainly one of them.
SRAA contributor, Richard Langley, writes:
"I've started to convert some of my old cassette shortwave recordings to mp3 files. I've uncovered a box of about 25 tapes with recordings mostly from 1990 and 1991. This was an interesting era for shortwave. There was the reunification of Germany, the breakups of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia, and the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq and then the First Gulf War. I monitored some of these events using my venerable Sony ICF-7600D receiver with the supplied wire antenna draped around my home office. I bought this receiver during a trip to Hong Kong (and the P.R.C.) in 1985. It was my first decent shortwave radio and I still have it but it has since been joined by several other receivers.
[...]
[The following] is a recording of President Mikhail Gorbachev's resignation speech as broadcast live by the World Service of Radio Moscow. As the announcer says, "a moment of history in the making." It begins at about the three-minute mark of the recording (at 17:00 UTC). The speech is followed by a program of classical music (filler), the News in Brief at 17:30 UTC, followed by part of the program "Africa as We See It."
Click here to download this recording of Radio Moscow World Service from December 25, 1991 on 17,670 kHz, beginning at 1657 UTC.
Many thanks to Shortwave Radio Audio Archive contributor, Dan Robinson, who submits this short recording of Yemen Radio, Aden.
Dan comments:
Yemen was once two countries -- North and South -- with separate shortwave stations in Sanaa, and in Aden. The country united in 1990, but before that for many years the separate capitals were represented on shortwave, with Aden using the 60 meter frequency of 5.060 MHz. It was tough to hear. This recording was made in the 1970's -- you will hear the station ID by a male announcer.
Click here to download this recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below:
Azadi square and tower, constructed 1971 (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Many thanks to Shortwave Radio Audio Archive contributor, Dan Robinson, who submits two recordings of Radio Iran, Tehran.
Dan comments:
Back in the 70's, Radio Iran had an external service, as it still does today, and used the odd frequency of 12.176 mhz which was well heard in North America. Consulting Internet archives, I see an English language program time of 2000 UTC, which sounds about right. The interval signal and sign on are classic examples of old shortwave programming, and this one truly brought Iran right into the living room. The ID: "From the heart of the Middle East, in Iran's capital city, Tehran, the foreign language program department of Radio Iran invites you to listen for the next half hour as we bring you music, news and special features designed to acquaint you with the modern Iran today and to share with you something of the heritage of its fascinating cultural past.
Click on each title to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded players below.
Many thanks to Shortwave Radio Audio Archive contributor, Dan Robinson, who submits recordings of the Falkland Islands Broadcasting Service.
Dan comments:
One of the great rarities for shortwave listeners the world over was, of course, the Falkland Islands Broadcasting Station (FIBS). There was great excitment, I still remember to this day, when FIBS was heard by a well-known DX'er in the western U.S. -- I recall the frequency at the time as being 3.958, which was listed in the the World Radio TV Handbook. Many DX'ers spent many hours seeking out FIBS, and it was only some years later, after the station shifted to a frequency of 2,380 khz that it began to be heard quite widely, though still a challenge. These recordings were made in Washington, DC using a Hammarlund HQ-180A receiver.
If you would like to read a brief history of the FIBS, please click here.
Click on each title to download recordings as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded players below.
Many thanks to Shortwave Radio Audio Archive contributor, Dan Robinson, who submits this short recording of Radio Radio 4VEH in Haiti.
Dan comments:
Another shortwave memory for DX'ers was 4VEH, in Haiti, which began in 1950. This station transmitted on a variety of SW frequencies, including one many of us heard, 15.280 which had a power of only 350 watts. This recording of the station includes a classic ID: "Radio 4VEH, the sound of light." The history of shortwave broadcasting from Haiti is quite interesting and can be obtained through an Internet search.
[Indeed, here is a brief timeline of 4VEH.]
Click here to download this recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below:
Many thanks to Shortwave Radio Audio Archive contributor, Dan Robinson, who submits this short recording of Radio Mexico on 11,770 kHz.
Dan comments:
Radio Mexico, like Brazil some years later, inaugurated an international service in multiple languages, including English, heard on several major meter bands. This recording was made in the early 70's using a Pilot Radio T-133.
Click here to download this recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below:
Many thanks to Shortwave Radio Audio Archive contributor, Dan Robinson, who submits this short recording of Radio Madagascar English Service with station ID.
Dan comments:
"Little known to many shortwave listeners, although a peek in the World Radio TV Handbook would have revealed, was the existence of Radio Madagascar's "International Service" With a frequency of 17.730 mhz in the 16 meter band, this was one of the more difficult catches, though on a good propagation day such as this one, the station could be heard quite well in North America. Here, you hear the station ID in the clear by a woman during a musical program. Radio Madgascar was also quite good with QSLing and many listeners have one or more of their classic cards in their collections."
Click here to download this recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below:
Many thanks to Shortwave Radio Audio Archive contributor, Dan Robinson, who submits this recording of Radio Mali Bamako
Dan comments:
Another in the unusual category from my 1970's archives is Radio Mali, with what it called its "International Service". Mali, at some point in the 70's had acquired new shortwave transmitters -- it would be interesting history to determine where they came from, perhaps former Soviet Union or Eastern bloc. These were listed in WRTH's and this reception was from the 16 meter band, heard in the afternoon in Levittown, PA. This was among many stations I heard on the first radio I used as an SWL, a Pilot Radio T-133, my grandmother's radio, which I still have today. I have played this audio at SWL Fests here in the United States, and offer it here on the archive as another example of SW stations of the past.
Many thanks for sharing this recording of Radio Mali Bamako, Dan.
Click here to download this recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below:
The Shortwave Radio Audio Archive (SRAA) is a collection of shortwave radio recordings that you can download or listen to as a podcast. The collection grows every day and includes both historic recordings and current recordings from the shortwave radio spectrum.
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