Radio Öömrang annual broadcast this Sunday 21 February

An annual radio event that is taking place on Sunday 21 February  is the broadcast of Radio Öömrang from Amrum Island in the German North Frisian Islands. This is for an hour from 1600 UTC on 15215kHz. It will be beamed via Nauen with a programmes in the Frisian dialect, German and English. QSL cards can be sought by emailing qsl-shortwave@media-broadcast.com

Look & listen #UNESCO #WorldRadioDay 13 Feb Radio in Times of Emergency & Disaster

UNESCO World Radio Day is here once more- Saturday 13 February. See what is going on near you and further afield. The 2016 theme is “Radio in Times of Emergency and Disaster”. Radio still remains the medium that reaches the widest audience worldwide, in the quickest possible time.

There are so many events around the world in many languages. Some events celebrate radio, others show how the technology is still so vital, in a world where the majority of people do not have internet access, unlike most of those in the over-privileged countries.

SOAS in London hold an event on MONDAY 15 February SOAS Radio will be hosting a World Radio day event with trade fair (which includes the BBC) from 1500 to 1800 UTC and a panel discussion from 1800-2000 UTC with an in-depth look at some of the most innovative research using radio in development interventions worldwide from academics and professionals working in the field. I went last year and recommend it.

Speakers in 2016 are Anne Bennett, Hirondelle Foundation; Carlos Chirinos, Africa Stop Ebola; Kerida McDonald, UNICEF; and Francis Rolt, Search for Common Ground. SOAS is based at the University of London specialising in the study of Asia, Africa and the Near and Middle East.

Other exciting events include:

Listen to the Special Broadcast this Saturday 13 February
You can listen to how Radio saves lives in times of emergency and disaster by tuning in on Saturday 13 February.

Amateur Radio Special Event Radio Station (MXØLTC) operating 12:00 to 24:00 hrs UTC 13th February 2016 in support of World Radio Day. The Radio Station will be operated in the7MHz (40 metre) and 14 MHz(20 metre) Radio Bands between the frequencies of 7.080 MHz and 7.200 MHz LSB (Lower Side Band) and 14.125 MHz and 14.350 MHz USB (Upper Side Band).


VOA Radiogram marks World Radio Day with text and images via shortwave radio
VOA Radiogram, an experimental Voice of America radio gram, transmits text and images via a 50-year-old shortwave transmitter located in North Carolina. VOA Radiogram during the weekend on 13-14 February will include a mention of World Radio Day. Receive VOA Radiogram on any shortwave radio, patch the audio into a PC or Android device using software such as Fldigi from w1hkj.com .

Australia's Emergency Broadcasting - Saving lives through radio broadcasting

Protecting Radio Frequencies. Christoph Dosch on the vital importance of broadcasting in disasters

Radio in a Box is an integrated mobile radio broadcasting station that could be used during disaster and emergency response and community broadcasting.

World Radio Day Talk Show (Special Programme): Radio In Times of Emergency and Disaster A special programme in conjunction with World Radio Day 2016 run by Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI).

Through World Radio Day celebrations around the world, UNESCO will promote radio in times of emergency and disaster, and put forward the following messages:

1. Freedom of expression and journalists’ safety should be disaster-proof.

2. Radio empowers survivors and vulnerable people, whose right to privacy is to be respected.

3. Radio has social impact and provides access to information. People’s right to information should be protected even in times of emergency and disaster.

4. Radio saves lives.

5. The immediate accessibility of radio frequencies is essential to saving lives. These frequencies should be protected so they are available in times of emergency.


Listen, learn, enjoy and celebrate radio!

Starting in Finnish #EDXC

Radiomaailma, the DX magazine from the SDXL in Finland carried a report on the EDXC 2015 Conference in Saint Petersburg in its most recent issue. It also mentions the EDXC 2016 Conference which will be held in Manchester from 9-12 September 2016, hosted by the British DX Club, who are my DXing alma mater!

I am the local contact/organiser for EDXC 2016 so feel free to email me with any questions to editor@bdxc.org.uk or ask Kari Kivekäs, Secretary General or Jan-Mikael Nurmela, Assistant Secretary General, through the EDXC website, where you will also find details of how to book your place. See the blog posts for 7 December and 18 December 2015. The New Zealand DX League also advertised it in their latest publication.


With speakers and delegates attending from all over Europe plus North America, Japan and Oceania, I am looking forward to rounding off the northern hemisphere summer in true Mancunian-international style later this year. But hey, we've a lot of organising to do first- not least of all to choose some exciting excursions with a radio theme...

For information on Manchester itself see my Mancunian Wave City Daily photo blog.