Radio Sweden
celebrates 75 years on 13 December. It was that grim first December of World
War II that the station took to the airwaves in English (a Swedish service started a year earlier). They were mostly heard on
shortwave back then, although the English
service of the station left the airwaves a few years back, I listen to their
weekday 30 minute podcast several times a week.
The hashtag
#RadioSweden75 is being used on Instagram,
Facebook and Twitter as listeners are encouraged to share their stories and photos of station memorabilia.
I am fairly
sure that Radio Sweden in English with its lovely interval signal and
identification was the first station I heard on shortwave back in the 1970s.
Their programmes have always shown me an intelligent, liberal-minded and
culturally rich country. I was hooked as I became a teenager and have not
veered far from their delightful Nordic news and views of the Nordic countries
ever since- they remain a favourite and are a voice of reason on what is often
an otherwise propaganda-led, rather dumbed-down radio dial.
I have a smattering
of QSL cards which I must photograph and put on Instagram this week, I also have
happy memories of their paper schedules, and of proudly wearing a “Keep In
Touch - Radio Sweden” T-shirt in dark blue with that familiar Radio Sweden font
in yellow, in the early 1980s. I wonder if they still produce such clothing
items- a tote bag is available?
The 2014 Swedish
General Election coverage was fabulous, as was the Green Party forming the
collation government. I hope the 22 March 2015 snap election produces similar
successes.
It would be
nice to hear relays of Radio Sweden programmes return to shortwave on Global 24
Radio. I hope they sign up, as many other stalwart shortwave stations already
have re-established a shortwave voice this way since October 2014.
Happy 75th
anniversary Radio Sweden! Have a listen to them, both their daily programmes and their
archive material.
