Radio Websites June 2008 (published in RadioUser, PWP)

Another month and another selection of websites with a radio theme. Some of them are useful, some are intriguing and some are off the wall. This column aims to help guide you through the internet jungle and make the most of your on-line leisure time.

Statistically speaking
Starting with a very useful website of political and physical maps, key facts and statistics about the countries of the world. It’s useful in its own right and also gives good background information if you are listening to radio from a particular country, or planning a DXpedition or holiday. You simply click on a choice from an alphabetised list, world maps or class resources (for all you educators out there). Before you know it you are basking in the knowledge that the population of Bolivia (9.2 million people) own 4,250,000 radio receivers. 200,000 unique visitors to the website each month can’t be wrong: http://www.atlapedia.com/

Country profiles (and media news) are also available at the BBC Monitoring website. This department has been based in a large Victorian stately home in Caversham since 1942. It was requisitioned to become a World War II BBC listening post and decades later it still has a vital role. The website illustrates the many services it offers to subscribers. BBC Monitoring operates “around the clock to monitor more than 3,000 radio, TV, press, internet and news agency sources, translating from up to 100 languages. This extensive and growing range of sources enables us to provide distinctive, authoritative and reliable coverage of political and economic news.” The website is full of interesting links and information for the casual observer as well as the subscribers who include, government departments, academic and business people. I particularly like the site’s ‘The week ahead’ feature which lists all kinds of events taking place in the regions monitored. This enabled me to follow recent events such as the elections in Benin and Paraguay: http://www.monitor.bbc.co.uk/

Martyn Hicks has a good website which includes weather station monitoring and
selection of photos of iconic London buildings. Also mp3 files of sounds such as Big Ben’s at noon and the Westminster chimes: Home page is: http://www.martynhicks.co.uk/
with links to his Bristol weather station at: http://www.martynhicks.co.uk/weather/data.php and London sights at http://www.martynhicks.co.uk/personal/html/london/group2.html
This gem of information about Big Ben is included: “There is a long swinging pendulum which has a stack of old coins on it to make the clock keep perfect time. The clock has run continuously since 31 May 1859 except for a stoppage of 13 days in 1977. In 1845 a host of starlings rested on one of the minute hands and slowed the clock by five minutes. "

Mark Hattam has a website dedicated to DX at: http://www.dxradio.co.uk/. I have always admired the non-nonsense, straightforward design of this site, which has Mark’s latest DXing news summarised by date at the top. If you want access to a huge array of archives or other links you can scroll down the left and right side margins at the site. (Harmonica, weather, reception conditions etc.) An example of content for you: “MW DX - Toronto dominated the DX logs tonight, presenting the best audio. Many other stations heard too, but didn't stay on 700 WLW, 760 WJR for long enough. Solitary station heard in the x-band (1620-1700 KHz) was KVNS from SE Texas.”

If you like the sound of those stations and can’t pick them up on medium wave, you can find them online instead. Listen live to WLW 700, ‘the big one’ from Cincinnati at: http://www.700wlw.com/; News Talk WJR 760 in Detroit at: http://www.wjr.net/;
KVNS in Brownsville Texas is one of many Texan stations listed at the huge ‘On the Radio’ website: http://www.ontheradio.net/ and http://www.ontheradio.net/cities/brownsville_tx.aspx

In Canada, Toronto radio is amply covered by the website at: http://www.toronto.hm/radiowaves.html amongst many others. The national brpoadcatser CBC is a station I listen to online quite a lot, especially their Radio 2 which offers jazz and classical music: Some great podcasts as well: http://www.cbc.ca/radio/ and http://www.cbc.ca/toronto/


Code breakers and history makers
The stories of some of the women involved in the code-breaking work at Bletchley Park during World War II have been recorded for posterity. Recently the British Computing Society (BCS) President Rachel Burnett welcomed the Women of Station X and their friends and families to a special event where Sue Black, BCS Women chair, formally handed over the recordings of the interviews to Simon Greenish, director of Bletchley Park, for safekeeping in its archive. The oral histories and DVD telling the story of the Women of Station X are also available on the BCS website:
http://www.bcs.org/ and: http://www.bcs.org/server.php?show=nav.9988

There are several mp3 files on the site relating to Bletchley Park and Enigma, with the promise of more to come. These include some words on the Stanmore, Middlesex, outstation, the billeting of WRNs (Women's Royal Naval Service) at Woburn Abbey, recruitment and training, working on the bombe, cracking Enigma, and looking back.

World War II is included at the North American Military Vehicle Preservation Association website. This international organisation has been running for 30 years and is based in Missouri, USA. There is a members' only section but plenty to read and see for non-members, including communications information: http://www.mvpa.org/

Tangent Audio are a Danish company who make some supremely magnificent looking products, including radios, CD players and loudspeakers. You can download and salivate over a pdf of their catalogue at: http://www.tangent-audio.com/

The Tangent Uno was the first radio that they made. “Tuning the FM/AM radio is like taking a trip back in time: turn the solid knob and keep an eye on the 50’s inspired tuning dial showing the setting. You can practically hear the be-bop on the airwaves. Have a lot of music on a portable MP3-player? Just connect it via the auxiliary connection and get the most out of your music from this century. The driver unit provides a full range of musical experiences, filling your listening space with sound. Rich low-frequency effects complement the sharp treble found at the opposite end of the sonic spectrum.”

Alas, I see that time and space has beaten me once again. I shall take my leave to search out some more online audio delights to share with you next month.

Radio Websites (published in RadioUser, PWP May 2008)

This time we have a selection of great You Tube DX and radio videos, a look at some internet radio portals (via a strange story) and some radio-related collecting sites.

Starting with the latter, the annual National Vintage Communications Fair is on Sunday May 11th at the Warwickshire Exhibition Centre, Fosse Way, Leamington Spa, CV31 1XN. Entrance fee is £5, and it is open from 1030 to 1600 BST. This used to be held at Birmingham’s national exhibition centre twice a year but is now an annual event. Organised by the British Vintage Wireless Society (BVWS) with more details at: http://www.bvws.org.uk/ See you there!

Alongside hundreds of radios, valves, early televisions, telephones, gramophones and other classic equipment, this year there is a mechanical music items section as well. Music boxes, polyphones, disc boxes, musical toys, roller organs and perhaps a fairground organ or two outside the hall. BVWS are working closely with the Music Box Society of Great Britain (MBSGB): http://www.mbsgb.org.uk/ and kindred organisations such as MOOS, BOGA, FOPS, PPG (Mechanical Organ Owners Society, British Organ Grinders Association, Fairground Organ Preservation Society, Player Piano Group). The latter is for players and aficionados of the pianalo and related instruments: http://www.pianolasociety.com/

The Fairground Organ Preservation Society is celebrating their Golden Jubilee this year. A fascinating website and it is also part of a ‘Crank Organ’ web ring. A taster for you: “When the early enthusiasts gathered round Tom Albert’s' 98-key Marenghi in Bolton for Sunday recitals back in 1957, they must have had little idea of the impact their decision to form themselves into a Society would have on the preservation movement or of the expansion of the Society to include members from most parts of the world…” http://www.fops.org/

Finally on the vintage front, Paul Stenning’s http://www.vintage-radio.com/ is always worth a browse and he is a member of the BVWS mentioned above. The novelty transistor radios section amused me, with photos and information on dozens of radios in the shape of cartoon characters, fruit juice cartons, a space rocket and even a toilet. I’ll leave it for you to decide which radio stations deserve to be tuned in on that one!
www.vintage-radio.com/manufacturers-and-sets/novelty-trannie.html

Radio Portals and tall tales

Radio User reader Len recommends the following website, which is also an old favourite of mine: http://www.live-radio.net/worldwide.shtml Its reassuring deep blue background, small print and logo has been ‘leading the way since 1997’. It has a list by country from which you can choose particular stations. Thousands of great internet radio and real radio station to choose from.

The headline at the top of the home page changes and is usually of interest. Last time I looked it was about two listeners who are suing a US radio station. This from a news story by Ann McGlynn of the Quad City Times newspaper in Davenport, Iowa: http://www.qctimes.com/.

Two listeners of KORB 93.5 FM say they were promised $30,000 for five years if they had the station logo tattooed on their forehead. DJ Ben Stone, also known as Benjamin Stomberg, made the statement on air in November 2000 as a practical joke…

KORB 93.5 FM is based in Bettendorf, Iowa. It has since re-branded to become KCQS but is better known as Star Radio playing ‘today’s best variety’: http://www.star935fm.com/

Whatever its name, it’s one of a staggering 255 radio stations in that state alone that can be accessed via the SHG Resources portal at: http://www.shgresources.com/ia/radio/

You might also want to save the Cosmos radio portal as a favourite, which lists all manner of radio stations across the world. Its Iowa links are at: http://www.cosmosradio.com/states/IA.html but http://www.cosmosradio.com/ is the home page.

Some other useful internet radio portals and general sites can be found on page 31 of the April edition of RadioUser.

Another portal I have been using of late is that of 1 Club FM, which is a social networking site with links to 90 radio stations and different musical genres. These include blues, house, trance and nature sounds: http://my.1club.fm/ It proclaims “Sign in to 1Club FM to build a free profile, upload unlimited music, videos, photos, chat, and view the playlists of your favourite channel. We have taken Internet Radio to the next level.”

You Tube: Radio studios and Sporadic E Catches

You Tube is always full of video clips with a radio bent that are guaranteed to distract you. Here are some recent ones that I have enjoyed. Starting with a number of station studio tours, we have a two minute demonstration of how a modern studio works, courtesy of breakfast presenter David Way at Delta FM: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibg10q6idjub

Next is a one minute tour of Sky High radio in Cork: http://www.skyhighradio.co.uk/ at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYYwoJgt6KQ

Freakshow FM is a Dutch station with an entertaining five minute home made tour: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyHxMckQRAw&feature=related and http://www.freakshow.fm/

Dutch Pirate station Cupid has a five minute tour of its facilities at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkSXbcK-GLc

With the sporadic E season about to commence in May it’s timely to recall the famous transatlantic DX catch of June 2003, when WHCF in Bangor Maine was heard in Northern Ireland. The catch, of some 2710 miles, which made the pages of many a radio publication, including this one, now has a minute of video dedicated to it. You can hear the catch for yourself illustrated with images. Brilliant! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ga56hsHvTCg

Equally as good is the nine minute catch that summer of CKLE. This is a French speaking station in Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada. It was heard on 92.9 MHZ, 2506 miles away. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy4Nnhet6SY&NR=1

Both of these are amongst 30 video clips of one ‘Yogi 540’, also known as Paul Logan, who also has a website at: http://www.geocities.com/yogi540/

A more modest, but still impressive, example of e-skip from last summer, is audio of Radio Istanbul heard in Cologne, Germany: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42NN1pREsYg&feature=related

For us mere mortals that cannot hope to catch an FM signal over 3000 miles this sporadic E season, take the short cut by going to the WHCF and CKLE station websites. WHCF is ‘Maine’s best praise and worship music’ at: http://www.whcffm.com/ CKLE is at: http://www.ckle.fm/

Broadcast Matters: Long, Medium and Short, February 2008

Published in Radio User, PWP, Feb 2008

Welcome to another round up of news, views and logs from the bands.

Readers’ Reports
Scott Caldwell noted a slight improvement in reception during December, regularly receiving Radio Australia on 15415 KHz and 11880 KHz. Some of the other programming he enjoyed include Radio Exterior de Espana’s Radio Waves programme, (0031 UTC/GMT on 6055 KHz) which included a feature on a Polish DAB and online radio station in London. This would be Polskie Radio Londyn (Polish Radio London), which is aimed at some of the estimated 700,000 Poles living in the Greater London area.

Health matters were covered by Radio Netherlands and Radio Australia. The former carried a programme on HIV and AIDs and the stigma of it in developing countries, on 6165 KHz at 0155 UTC/GMT. Radio Australia produced a rather weak signal of an all 2 SINPO, but a feature it carried on alcohol related problems could still be heard on 15415 KHz at 1034 UTC/GMT.

We welcome readers David Weronka in North Carolina and Gerry Gorman from Bangor in Northern Ireland to the column with some of their recent logs. Gerry writes that the Broadcast Matters column “is a very enjoyable read and one that I look forward to each month.” He also wishes all readers a peaceful 2008.


Slovenian sounds
Slovenia has taken over the presidency of the European Union for the first half of this year. It seems timely and topical then to delve into the radio scene in this small Balkan country. Its foreign language station, Radio Slovenia International, broadcasts in just three languages: Slovene, German and English. Unfortunately there are no direct shortwave broadcasts from the station as yet and the station is aimed inside the country on numerous FM frequencies for tourists and migrant workers.

It describes itself as broadcasting: “A well balanced mixture of musical and informative programmes 24 hours a day. 85% of the programme time is devoted to the best international and Slovene hits, and the remaining 15% is intended for up-to-date political, business and economic, cultural, and sports information. Which is just enough to keep our listeners constantly well informed. The essential elements of the programme are weather, traffic, cultural and sports information and also events taking place in Slovenia.”

Although not on shortwave itself, Radio Slovenia International is part of the Insight Central Europe weekend programme (along with ORF, Hungarian Radio, Radio Polonia, Radio Prague and Radio Slovakia), so you can sometimes hear Slovene views and reports there. Check it out each Saturday at 0700 UTC/GMT on 11600 and 9880 kHz; 1130 and 1330 UTC/GMT on 6155, 13730; 1830 UTC/GMT on 6155, 5945; and Sundays at 0530 on 6155, 13730. It can also be heard on other frequencies targeted to other parts of the world.

Radio in the country goes back 80 years to 1928, when Radio Ljubljana commenced from the capital city. Radiotelevizija Slovenija is the national radio and televsion body, operating three radio stations nationally. These are A1 (the first network) with music, news and reports; Val 202, which focuses on pop music, news, talk and sports; and ARS (the third network) which, like BBC Radio 3, caters for the more edcuated highbrow cultural audience.

Transatlantic X Band
If you are attempting some medium wave DXing for signals from Canada and the U.S.A the following might help. The dial in these countries is spaced at 10 kHz intervals (rather than the 9 kHz in Europe) from 520 to 1710 kHz. Prior to 1997 the mw frequencies only ran up to 1610. The expanded band, more commonly known as the X band covers 1610-1710 KHz. The lower density of stations in this area of the spectrum, as well as a lack of stations with more than 10 kW of power in the USA has given the opportunity to concentrate on a new part of the dial for DXers.

I thought it would be good to explore some catches from the Autumn Sheigra DXpedition by three stalwarts of the British DX Club. Sheigra is in the far north-west of Scotland and offers good listening opportunities across all bands, as well as rugged scenery. Dave Kenny, Alan Pennington and Tony Rogers of the BDXC have been visitors there for many years. Their X Band catches included: CJWI Montreal on 1610 KHz; CJRS Montreal (Radio Shalom Montreal) on 1650 kHz; CHTO Toronto on 1690 kHz; WPTX Lexington Park in Maryland on 1690 kHz; WVON ‘The talk of Chicago’ from Berwyn, Illinois on 1690 kHz; WEUP ‘The people’s station’ in Huntsville Alabama on 1700 kHz; and Spanish speaking WJCC in Miami Springs Florida, also on 1700 KHz.

However you don’t have to have a fantastic location, rig and miles of long wire to achieve some X Band catches. Others heard this season by BDXC members overnight (0000 to 0900 UTC/GMT) in the more metropolitan areas of England include: WTNI Biloxi Missouri on 1640 KHz; WHKT in Portsmouth, Virginia on 1650 KHz, KXNZ Cedar Falls, Iowa also on 1650 KHz and KVNS in Brownsville Texas on 1700 KHz. Just the thing to while away a long February night! Let us know how you get on.

When was the golden age of radio?

You often hear mention of the golden age of radio. This appears to be a phrase common in English speaking nations from North America via the U.K to Australasia. It may well be used in many other countries as well. It is generally agreed to refer to the era from post World War II until the late 1950s. This period saw domestic and international radio expanding across the western world.

The quality of programming, especially drama, comedy and variety shows were behind this perceived peak, coupled with the fact that television was still in its infancy and a long way from becoming the mass medium that it became by the 1960s. You only have to do a quick online search to find hundreds of websites celebrating the 1940s and 1950s radio scene, and it is easy to hear archived shows from the time. Radio Luxembourg was a European leader whilst the BBC Home and Light programmes were also laying down the roots for what became the high quality radio production standards that we take for granted today. In Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada, families would gather around the radio for live variety shows, historical adventure and detective dramas.

Although acknowledging the 1940s and 1950s are labelled the golden age by most, I would also argue that most ‘golden ages’ are in fact the eras in which we first develop a taste for a hobby. For many radio hobbyists, today in their 50s, who grew up with the offshore stations of the 1960s, then that is the period they look back on with fondness. Many consider the sounds of Caroline and Radio London, Radio North Sea international to be unrivalled to this day, both in terms of their historical impact and format. The legacy of pirate radio can still be heard. Just tune around 48 metres on any Sunday and you will hear today’s equivalents with DJs of all ages.
For my own generation who discovered the joys of radio in the 1970s, the golden age I refer back to is the one of the emergence of commercial radio in the U.K and of the dominance of the cold war broadcasters on shortwave.

Even though many feel that shortwave is now in decline, the current age will be one that many just getting established in the hobby will look back on with the same degree of fondness in years to come. The predominance of China Radio International, the countless US fundamental Christian stations, the Sunday pirates and the booming voices in Spanish and Arabic are all part of today’s shortwave scene that we take for granted. In years to come they will be part of someone’s golden age…

Radio Websites, January 2008, published in Radio User, PWP

This month we have another fine selection box of various radio websites.

Online Radio Time
We start with some programmes for you to listen to at your leisure with the Radio Time website: http://www.radiotime.com/ (not to be confused with the famous BBC publication of a similar name which has full listings and far more, and free of charge, at: http://www.radiotimes.com/ ) Radio Time -Your guide to radio- is a North American venture which links you to a huge range of audio from all manner of radio stations. Starting at the home page there is an ever changing panel of six featured stations. You can click on any of these and almost instantaneously you are listening to sounds such as 917 Radio in Milwaukee; The Mountain from Tucson, Arizona; sport from ESPN in Bristol Connecticut or KQED Talk radio in San Francisco. All of these were stations I spent a happy half hour with. Other sections at the website provide you with links to radio stations described as talk, music, or world. It’s guaranteed to keep you amused for many an hour.

Affiliated to this website is a link to PRI Radio Shows at: http://radiotime.com/affiliate/a_33775/program/PRI_Radio_Shows.aspx
You can even record some of these programmes by downloading software called Red Button. It consists of a 14 day free trial before you have to buy it for $29, something I have done myself.

PRI stands for Public Radio International which is a host and distributor of hundreds of leading radio programmes of great interest. My recommendations would include David Dyes’ Conversations from the World Café magazine show, Let the Good Times Roll with Chicago soul singer Jerry "The Iceman" Butler, and Music from Chautaqua, which is an annual, century old, lakeside gathering of classical musicians in upstate New York. Listen for yourself at: http://www.pri.org/

Another American radio station I have become a big fan of is KIFM Smooth Jazz 98.1 in San Diego, California. Jazz and new age music are the staple diet here, and there is lots to hear online, as well as read: http://www.smoothjazznow.com/radio_san_diego_kifm_98.htm
Along with the live online listening option there is a fascinating feature whereby you can click on new CD releases and musicians, and hear long extracts from them. You are then one click away from purchasing online. A very useful feature. I enjoyed the latest offering from guitarist Daryl Stuermer, as well as reading up on his long career and other musical involvement, which has included being a touring guitarist with Genesis since the 1980s: http://www.blogger.com/www.darylstuermer.com

Festive Fifty and famous folk
You are never far from famous people on the web, even when they are sadly no longer with us. An example of this is the much missed DJ John Peel. “Generally acknowledged as the single most important figure in contemporary music over the last half a century.” Amongst the many websites about him, including some on MySpace are: John Peel A Tribute at: http://www.myspace.com/johnpeel ; and John Peel Day Inverness: http://www.myspace.com/johnpeelinverness
There is a John Peel blog at: http://johnpeeleveryday.blogspot.com/2006/03/last-broadcast.html which includes him working in his home studio.

John was famous, amongst many other things, for his annual Festive Fifty on BBC Radio One. This was a countdown of listeners’ favourites of the year, and usually had an exciting and alternative feel with many independent record labels represented. Dandelion Radio has taken up the gauntlet for this and is compiling a Festive Fifty. Read and hear it at http://www.dandelionradio.com/ or http://www.myspace.com/dandelionradio

Nigel Rees is well known for his role on Radio 4’s Quote Unquote programme and there is an official website set up by him at: http://www1c.btwebworld.com/quote-unquote/ Despite its early 1990s design (and many would say there is nothing wrong with that), the website is updated regularly with news of the show and its participants.

As we appear to have wandered down memory lane, something which is forgivable at this time of year when we tend to be reflecting on the past, pop over to http://www.swalwelluk.co.uk/ Swalwell is a Tyneside town but the website has many far-reaching nostalgic themes, from railways to local people, sport and local industry. Equally enthralling on this rather nicely designed yellow and blue website is the A to Z of radio and tv personalities, with photos: http://www.swalwelluk.co.uk/picpages/pic-radioa.html Try too the section on radio and television in the post war years at: http://www.swalwelluk.co.uk/memstwo.html


A mixed bag
So many sites, so little time! Here’s a round up of some of many websites I have ended 2007 becoming familiar with:

How about some Shortwave Audio from all over the world. Hear what other listeners are hearing on the Shortwave Radio, Amateur Radio HF, VHF and UHF bands in MP3 or Streaming format. A far from run of the mill website, which even Links to a You Tube clip listening to radio in Mongolia (or so it says). There are also audio and video tutorials on what to hear, Radio Netherlands audio (whilst actually watching a radio) and more fun!: http://www.shortwaveaudio.com/

A rather unusual and intriguing blog entitled ‘Love in the key of longbrake’ is yours to peruse at: http://www.thelongbrake.com/blog/ and especially the section at: http://www.thelongbrake.com/blog/2007/02/08/watch-out-malaysia-youre-next/
Lots of random thoughts on writing, South America, Fort Wayne library in minus 21º C, BBC World Service, American tv and radio, and travel. An example of a very varied illustrated blog.

If you are in the capital over the festive season you may be foolhardy enough to meet with friends to try the Monopoly pub crawl. This is indeed a route and list of public house based on the London streets featured on the Monopoly board. Photos and lists of those who have successfully completed this, and others who have sensibly failed en route are at: http://www.monopolypubcrawl.org.uk/ Radio features along the route include the BBC World Service in the Strand. If you do partake in any of these, remember to drink responsibly.
Personally I would rather stay in the warm and spend an hour looking at the wonderful website known as the Radio Salon, in Hollywood, California: http://www.radiosalon.com/ This has radios, phonograms, a museum, a guide to plastics and dozens of mouth watering photos.

The extraordinary radios section is just what it says, with some amazing designs of global radios from a bygone age of style and elegance; Emersons, Ekcos, Pyes and Puritans: http://www.radiosalon.com/html/extraordinary-radios1.htm

Radio Websites December 2007, published in Radio User, PWP Dec 2007

Welcome back again to the world of radio websites, as we take you on another tour of the wild, the wonderful and sometimes the plain simple but useful.

North American amble
Peter Jernakoff has built a website dedicated to his hobby of Medium wave DXing, which he describes as a “repository of DX recordings, logs, photos and links aimed primarily at the avid medium wave DXer. The recordings were obtained from my home in Wilmington, Delaware (USA). Give a listen, look around and enjoy yourself!” It’s a nice site with plenty of features, whether you want to browser through logs, help with some unidentified catches or check the QSL collection. Say hello too to Anna the Seal Point Siamese cat warming herself on Peter’s Drake R8B: http://www.21centimeter.com/

The links page will divert you down other enjoyable paths too. I was soon whiling away time at the home of the North American Time and Frequency stations WWV, WWVH, WWVB and CHU: http://www.geocities.com/radiojunkie3/

I was also just a click away from Canadian radio archive air-checks at: http://rockradioscrapbook.ca/ There are over 550 audio clips of stations and jingles from 1955 to the present, many with an accompanying report and photos. It’s difficult to stop yourself from clicking on ‘just one more’ and suddenly an unproductive, but very enjoyable, hour has passed.

Reader Mike Dawson M1ELK recommends the iWebRadio.com website, which advertises itself as ‘Radio...for Humans’. It is hosted at http://www.t35.com/~madchatt/HomePage/index.php This is a micro web broadcasting outfit consisting of both amateur and professional DJs producing their own programmes and broadcasting live on the internet. Programmes are then made available as podcasts. Listeners can join in the live shows with the DJs in the iwebradio chat room via the website. On Sunday afternoons you can hear Mountain View Radio with Jen the Radgirl followed by Aussie Tim then FM with DJ Vu. The station plays a lot of rare US rock and pop music plus a lot of international flavours.
If you fancy some Old Time Radio delivered in a new time technology, try the podcast at: http://www.otrpodcast.com/ It has American episodes from the 1950s of the Saint and Sherlock Holmes and CBS Radio Workshop, amongst others. For some Science Fiction Old Time Radio podcasts try: http://otrscifi.btpodshow.com/ “From its earliest time, radio has always been interested in Science Fiction. There has been science fiction on the radio since before Buck Rogers in 1932. Radio SciFi characters leaped into your living room as the listener would be taken on an adventure into time and space each week. Join us each week as we explore the unknown universe of science fiction only on the Old Time Radio Network.”


Ring out the old and ring in the new

ORF 1 / Radio Austria International still broadcasts in English, daily with ‘Report From Austria’ and the weekly ‘Insight Central Europe’ collaborative broadcast. Details and an online reception report form are at their website: http://oe1.orf.at/service/international
Many podcasts are also available, mostly in German but also French and English: http://oe1.orf.at/podcast/

BBC World Service Director of News Helen Boaden looks back over 75 years in one minute clips. Just click on a decade to read about and hear gems of BBC WS and of history itself: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/specials/1122_75_years/index.shtml
There is a My Space BBC World Service fansite at: www.myspace.com/bbcworldservice There are regularly updated blogs describing the past and present of the station, a gallery of photos of Bush House, QSL cards and past presenters, and the promise of a number of audio files to come. The respectful, almost regal deep blue backdrop and the typewriter font add to an air of grandeur and history.

If you remember the 8 track cartridge then you are older than me! This format was popular in the 1960s and 1970s and there are quite a few collectors out there, so inevitably there are a number of websites too, including an 8 Track Cartridges web ring, linking many of the groups together. Some nice overviews of the music released on cartridges and the background at:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/hamidk/8-tracks.htm “8-track tapes originated in America in the 1960s. They were primarily designed for playing pre-recorded music in cars and trucks, but home and portable players were made, too. There were even some recordable 8-track decks. 8-track was a huge success in the U.S. until the now familiar audio cassette took over in the later half of the '70s. Outside the American "car culture", 8-tracks were less popular. They were made and sold in Britain for several years. In most other countries they never appeared at all.” And when your old 8 cartridges break, Jeremy Larsen will show you how to fix them, at: http://www.geocities.com/Paris/4831/8tracks.html


Christmas wish list

The World QSL Book is a comprehensive resource and reference book on CD for any hobbyist who is interested in acquiring a verification of reception of almost any HF station, whether broadcast, utility, amateur radio, or unlicensed pirate or clandestine! This 528-page eBook covers every aspect of collecting QSL cards and other acknowledgments from stations heard in the HF spectrum. This self-loading, easy-to-use reference begins with a comprehensive tutorial on how to QSL (verify) radio stations followed by address sections for broadcaster and utility stations. It is loaded with station addresses, Internet websites, and e-mail addresses. Coverage includes shortwave broadcasters (including clandestine and pirate stations); HF utility stations (civilian and military); and amateur radio QSL bureaus worldwide. It is the first comprehensive publication of its kind devoted to QSLing radio stations in the HF radio spectrum. The World QSL Book is published in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) electronic format and is fully searchable/printable. Teak Publishing. http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/cd/1183.html

If you want to send a Christmas e-Card from ABC Australia, more specifically linking to the Aboriginal radio network, go to
http://www.abc.net.au/message/contact/ecards/christmas.htm It is part of Message Stick which is an ABC indigenous radio station.
Other Christmas e cards from ABC can be seen and sent at: http://www.abc.net.au/alicesprings/ecards/

If it is a more traditional Christmas card, albeit by electronic means, that you are looking for try some of the following web addresses:
BBC Radio Leicester offer animated cards at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/leicester/ecards/xmas_postcard.shtml
Their colleagues at BBC Kent have a wider range (Leeds Castle in the snow is my favourite) at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/kent/christmas/e_cards.shtml

Finally, for an all singing and all dancing (I kid you not) range of Christmas cards, the travel bookmark website takes the honours. Throughout the year they produce some tasteful travel postcards of Lake Garda scenes at: www.travelbookmark.com/cards/gardalake.shtml but come this time of year and festive fever seems to won over good taste, at: http://www.travelbookmark.com/cards/xmas.shtml

Radio Websites (Published November 2007 in Radio User, PWP)

Have your mouse at the ready, the speakers turned up, and join me for a Brazilian blend of bossa novas and berimbaus (the latter is a musical instrument). Afterwards we chill out with a tour of space- My Space that is, and some of the thousands of radio profiles set up on the ever-expanding social interaction site.

Tropical bands on Tropical bands
Hearing music from exotic countries is one of the many areas where the Internet excels. With the decline in numbers of shortwave Tropical Band stations, there is a growing need for listeners outside of the tropics to turn to Internet radio for fixes of funk or tastes of tango.

Internet radio is undoubtedly ‘the future today’ and a way into radio listening for many young people, most of whom wouldn’t know their squelch from their elco (capacitor). But in all honesty, why should they? It is a shame that low powered domestic radio stations are leaving the tropical bands for FM transmitters, but technology evolves, and we should all embrace the opportunity to effortlessly tune into radio from any country on the planet.

If however you would like to read up on the latest information on radio on the tropical bands, try the Danish Shortwave Club International: http://www.dswci.org/ and http://dswci.org/specials/conferences/edxc_lecture/article.html
Also are specialist knowledge is at ‘DXing Info’: http://www.dxing.info/ and Willi Passmann’s Radio Portal:
http://www.radio-portal.org/wp/index.html


Favela funk flavours
On to online radio to concentrate on some Brazilian beats. Along with traditional sounds such as samba and bossa nova, a more recent style of music to come from the boys (and girls) of Brazil is labelled favela funk. Favela being the name for the shanty towns that sprawl the outskirts of far too many Brazilian cities.

There are thousands of Live 365 stations and it’s always difficult to choose the better ones, but here are two for starters. From Lisbon in Portugal comes ‘Broadcastor’ which plays a great selection include Bossa Nova, Jazz-Samba and MPB (Brazilian Popular Music). “All the classics and many lesser known gems, not forgetting the more recent breed of Brazilian artists.” A good thing about this station is that the playlist is changed at least twice a month.
http://www.live365.com/stations/broadcastor

Radio Electric Brazil is based in the north-eastern Brazilian state of Salvador and offers ‘electro, Brazilian and tropicalia’. I am not sure which is which but most of what I have heard sounds pretty good to me: http://www.live365.com/stations/electricpardal

The very stylish Radio Cubik Network website has online radio stations including Radio Tango (‘experience the passion of Buenos Aires’); Radio Salsa, with of course salsa, Latin jazz and meringue; Bossa Brazil with bossa nova, samba and the soothing sounds of Brazil. There are other sounds too, such as Poetry Mission, which is for ‘romantics entrapped in the digital age’: http://www.bossabrazil.com/

‘Brazil Drums’ is a USA based commercial company selling Brazilian instruments, but a fascinating website whether you are browsing or buying: http://www.brazildrums.com/main/


My Space Radio
Unsurprisingly, the Facebook, Bibo and My Space phenomena has led to many profiles of radio stations and presenters appearing. Of these three social interaction networks, I have only really explored My Space so far, which itself is a major undertaking. Here are some of my recommendations.

Some of the many fan sites that I enjoy or have linked with include the BBC Radiophonic Workshop: www.myspace.com/bbcradiophonicworkshop This goes back to the famous day in 1963 when the Workshop came up with the original theme tune for Dr Who. It is also a tribute to others who passed through over the past four decades, including Delia Derbyshire, who has even had a BBC play based on her life broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and BBC 7.

Evergreen Radio Caroline has several different profiles set up by fans. These include Radio Caroline ‘The Independent Spirit of British Radio Since 1964’ at: www.myspace.com/pirateradiocaroline
and Caroline Classics at: www.myspace.com/carolineclassics

On My Space it is often hard to tell apart the pages set up by the real person and those purporting to be the profile of somebody famous. It can be a case of viewer beware! Russell Walker hosts BBC Radio Leeds’ late night show. A brick wall is the backdrop to his page and there is a nice set of You Tube links, a potted biography and a good slide presentation of him in the studio: www.myspace.com/russell_walker_late_show

Dotun Adebayo, outspoken columnist and one of the presenters of Radio 5’s Up all Night show. Catch up with his views through his blog and his latest projects, all set to music that he sings himself: www.myspace.com/dotunadebayo

DJ Marc Riley is at: www.myspace.com/marcriley presenting music he likes and a link to his BBC 6 web pages. American radio legend Wolfman Jack can be seen at two sites: www.myspace.com/the_wolfman_jack and www.myspace.com/wolfmanjackshow An example of a affectionate spoof site is of Radio 4 and Mastermind’s John Humphreys: www.myspace.com/johnhumphrys


Bill Buckley is a broadcaster and journalist with, amongst others, LBC and BBC local radio. He has a bright, breezy and informative website at: http://www.billbuckley.net/ As well as reviewing the newspapers and issues, he is a bit of a culinary master on the side, a member of the Guild of Food writers and even a winner on the excellent Channel 4 programme ‘Come Dine with Me’.

Finally this month a lesser known author of an interesting blog who goes under the name of Madrid Kid. Lots of information about shortwave radio, television and radio in Spain and some very well written pieces: http://madridkid.blogspot.com/2006_01_01_archive.html My only gripe is that the blog hasn’t been added to for 18 months! But the archive is still good quality journalism, just like the magazine that you have in your hands is! Happy browsing until next month.

Radio Websites (Published October 2007 in Radio User, PWP)

Pick of the podcasts
The plethora of podcasts available makes choosing which ones to subscribe to, or even hear one edition of, a tough choice. As you could predict with a technology that enables anyone to produce their own programmes, the quality varies considerably. From unhinged rants to high quality investigative journalism, with a lot falling in between.

If you are of a certain age you may want to listen to the nostalgia of an old night time medium wave favourite, Radio Luxembourg. Podcasts are becoming available from the station’s pop heydays of the 1960s and 1970s, as well as the 1980s. There are regular additions from all eras and it is worth at least a listen to two: http://www.radioluxembourg.co.uk/

For podcasts of modern day international radio favourites, the World Radio Network (‘Seeing the world through radio’) is a good podcast portal. WRN rebroadcast many stations’ output on satellite and the internet, and you can also access podcasts too. Stations on the list include the Voice of Russia, Radio Slovakia and Radio Romania International. The pick of these is the Voice of Russia’s educational and entertaining historical programme ‘Our Homeland’, and the weekly ‘Europe East’ from Radio Polonia. http://www.wrn.org/listeners/stations/rss.php?id=23&s=eu
also http://www.wrn.org/listeners/stations/podcast.php
and http://www.wrn.org/

A selection of varied and interesting podcasts from New Zealand can be heard at the following website: http://www.podcastnz.com/, including Radio New Zealand’s Checkpoint Choice, Science Story and the digital technology programme Virtual World, with Hamish MacEwan.

A blog celebrating radio jingles makes for an interesting read at: http://www.jinglenews.com/
The Jingle Network blog has been online since January 2005, and includes podcasts, news and samples of radio jingles from around the world. If you are into jingles you will want to read this, but if you consider them to be anorak territory you should read and listen and be pleasantly surprised. The most recent Jingle Network Podcast offered typical variety and contained: KCFM, Radio Globo, New Reel World jingles for local stations in Portugal, Spain Switzerland, and the USA.

Not a podcast as such, but well worth using the BBC’s brilliant ‘Listen Again ‘ facility for is the following gem from BBC Radio Ulster. John Bennett's Radio Years is a thirty minute weekly programme which goes out on Sunday afternoons. Or of course, whenever you want to hear it if you click on ‘Listen Again’. “Relive the highs and lows of days gone by as they are portrayed in the BBC Northern Ireland Archive. Do memories mature like good wine or go sour as they age?” Recent programmes I have enjoyed featured the years of 1941, which was a fascinating history lesson for me, and 1986, which was a trip back to my youth: http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/radioulster/radioyears/


A small Scilly world
Launched on 107.9 FM in early September, Radio Scilly proclaims itself to be the world’s smallest radio station. They broadcast from an attic studio in Porthmellon, with an aerial at the Telegraph coastguard tower: http://www.radioscilly.com/ You can contact them by e-mail at: studio@radioscilly.com

At the moment the website is more of an illustrated blog, which itself is a nice look behind the scenes at all the work involved in setting up a radio station. Hopefully this will develop and include audio streaming and podcasts at some stage, so that the small voice can shout loud to the world. A webcam at the council website also covered some of the opening events and may link regularly with the station: http://www.scilly.gov.uk/

Websites by the wayside
The ‘Internet Archive Wayback Machine’ is a very useful website in that it stores old web pages. Many websites come and go, often removed because of hosting costs rather than author fatigue. With millions of websites stored, the ‘Wayback Machine’ is a great resource to turn to when you are faced with that perennial problem of returning to a website that you were sure was there a few months ago, or maybe it was a year or two that you last visited it. I am sure you recognise the scenario along the lines of: ‘Help, where has that site gone, I know it contained some vital information I need right now’. Putting it to the test, I managed to retrieve quite a few pieces of research that I had bookmarked several years back and were on websites that had since fallen by the wayside: http://www.archive.org/web/web.php

A miscellany of marvels
The technology behind FM radio was developed in the late 1930s, and FM radio itself became a commercial viability in the 1950s. The story behind FM , and pirate radio, is amongst many other fascinating facts and features at the ‘Rewind the Fifties’ website. Type ‘radio’ into the search box at the site: http://www.loti.com/

To end with this time, a reminder of one of the long-running and much loved websites serving the DX community for almost a decade. Dave Kernick’s Interval Signals Online: http://www.intervalsignals.net/ This is an indispensable treasure trove of interval signals, signature tunes and identification announcements from international, domestic, and clandestine radio stations around the world. Easy and effective to use it contains a massive collection of audio clips of foreign radio stations, with identification announcements in various languages, signature tunes and jingles, and of course, interval signals.The website undergoes regular development, with new sound-clips beingadded to the collection and existing ones modified. You simply click on a country name from the menu on the left of the site, then click on a station name to play the MP3 sound clip.