Radio Berlin International, final episode: October 2, 1990

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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:

Helliniki Radiophonia: January 2, 2015

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It’s been a while now since 9,420 kHz–a former Voice of Greece frequency–should have gone off the air.  Fortunately, it has not.

The station is no longer referred to as the Voice of Greece; it’s now a relay of ERT Open, otherwise known as the Helliniki Radiophonia (you’ll hear this name in the station ID).

January 2, 2015, I recorded nearly four hours of Helliniki Radiophonia starting around 2230 UTC.

Simply click here to download an MP3 of the full recording, or listen via the embedded player below.

The music begins, in earnest, a little after 17:00–enjoy:


Radio Moscow: 25 December 1991, Mikhail Gorbachev's resignation speech

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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.
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[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. 

A Tale of Two Cities via Global 24: December 30, 2014

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The company rehearses Treasure Island, the second program in The Mercury Theatre on the Air series, presented July 18, 1938 (Source: Wikipedia)

The company rehearses Treasure Island, the second program in The Mercury Theatre on the Air series, presented July 18, 1938 (Source: Wikipedia)

Tuesday morning, I tuned my WWI era BC-348-Q to Global 24 on 9395 kHz. The signal, via WRMI’s transmitter, was quite strong.

At 2:00 UTC, I heard an announcement that The Mercury Theatre on the Air radio play of A Tale of Two Cities was about to begin.

Not wanting to miss an opportunity to record this timeless Dicken’s classic, I quickly switched over to the Elad FDM-S2 SDR to record the broadcast live. Fortunately, I captured the full broadcast and the fidelity is almost as good as a local station.

For your listening pleasure this New Year’s Day, please enjoy A Tale of Two Cities by The Mercury Theatre on the Air courtesy of Global 24:

Radio Exterior de España in Spanish: May 19, 2014

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Radio Exterior de España received in London, UK, on the frequency of 9620 kHz.  Amigos de la Onda Corta at 0005.  Transmitted at 320 kW from Noblejas, Spain.  Recorded with Tecsun PL-660 and the built-in telescopic antenna.

Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation in English and Pijin, February 5, 2014

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Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation received in Sydney, Australia, on the frequency of 9545 kHz.  Music, talk, and the news in Pijin at 0800.  Transmitted at 10 kw from Honiara.  Recorded with the Degen DE1121 and a 40' longwire.

Unidentified station playing Christmas songs on 6115 kHz: 9 December 2014

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An unidentified station playing Christmas songs and melodies, recorded 9 December 2014 in Europe at 2252 UTC, shortwave frequency of 6115 kHz, possibly a free radio (pirate) european transmitter, although the power seems to be at least several kWs. Transmitting around the clock, though during the monitoring long periods of fading noticed.

The picure above shows a QSL card of a free radio station from Italy received several years ago and not related to this particular audio file attached to this post.

beHAVior Night via WBCQ: November 28, 2014

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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, November 28, 2014. While beHAVior Night is broadcast all year long via WBCQ, I’m not able to hear them easily at my home during Daylight Savings Time (DST) as the propagation path is not yet open to the south. During the winter months, however, the signal is quite strong as you will hear.

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

Radio Channel 292 & Vatican Radio: November 27, 2014

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This is the recording of Radio Channel 292 (presumably; no station ID is given during the programme) and has been recorded 27 November 2014. It started at 0531 GMT. Recorded off the shortwave frequency 6070 kHz (transmitter site: Rohrbach Waal, Germany, 60 Watts of power). At 0630 GMT Vatican Radio started with its 45' transmission of Holy Mass in Latin (Santa Maria di Galeria, Vatican City, transmitter site, 250 kW of power). After Radio Vatican ended its transmission, Channel 292 is audible again. Audio seems to be somewhat distorted

RTM Wai FM: November 8, 2014

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Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Julie, for this recording of RTM Wai FM.

Julie recorded this broadcast in Sydney, Australia on November 8, 2014 at 1514 UTC on 11665 kHz. Julie notes that she used a Degen DE1121 and 40' long wire.

Click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below. Please subscribe to our podcast to receive future recordings automatically.

Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation: March 9, 2014

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Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Julie, for this recording of the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation.

Julie recorded this broadcast in Sydney, Australia on March 9, 2014 at 1900 UTC on 5.02 MHz. Julie notes that she used a Degen DE1121 and 40' long wire.

Click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below. Please subscribe to our podcast to receive future recordings automatically.

Radio Hargeisa: November 7, 2014

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Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Julie, for this recording of Radio Hargeisa.

Julie recorded this broadcast in Sydney, Australia on November 7, 2014 at 1500 UTC on 7120 kHz. Julie notes that she used a Degen DE1121 and 40' long wire.

Click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below. Please subscribe to our podcast to receive future recordings automatically.