Media Network Vintage Vault 2018-2019

This edition covered the history of US Offshore broadcasting.  The good ship Sarah fitted out in Boston harbour has just taken to the high seas to broadcast as Radio New York International. Lou Josephs and Dennis Powell helped tell the story of various stations like Carl Macintyre’s 1973 Radio Free America and KPF941. MTV Europe is coming to Europe spending 25 million dollars in the launch. We find out why. And some people are questioning the need for USIA WORLDNET with a budget of 30 million. They claim reach to 81 cable systems. Victor Goonetilleke has been recovering from the tropical flu but thanks to a new receiver he has been hearing a new transmitter in Burma. Thailand is also booming.  Voice of Kenya is also an easy catch at 0200 hrs. Iran’s Flag of Freedom clandestine station is being heard at 1630. Christian Science Monitor station. I'm pleased at the sound of this recording taken from the 15 ips master. Agree? Feedback on this programme or the collection welcome to  

There was a lot going on the shortwave bands in April 1991. Radio Afghanistan has been taken over and they have suspended all their external broadcasts. The Message of Freedom Radio has also been heard on 7090 kHz. Radio Georgia has been heard in English. Radio 16th of December has appeared targeting Haiti. We re-tested the Sony ICF-SW-77. We bought a new one to see whether it has really been improved. Bob Grove reports that the SR-1000 receiver has been cancelled and replaced by the SW-100 project at 800 dollars. Radio Netherlands your official information station. World Radio Network has started up on the Astra satellite. Tim Ashburner spoke to us from Wimbledon. The programme concludes with a call to Vasily Strelnikov in Moscow who notes that radio stations are sprouting like mushrooms in the rainfall from Chernobyl. Feedback on this programme or the collection welcome to  

This programme was made a couple of weeks after Operation Desert Storm had started. After an item about Kashmir, we contacted Victor Goonetilleke to catch up on Operation Desert Storm. I think we underestimate just how up to date our monitors were.  From Wikipedia: The Gulf War (2 August 1990 – 28 February 1991), codenamed Operation Desert Shield (2 August 1990 – 17 January 1991) for operations leading to the buildup of troops and  of  and Operation Desert Storm (17 January 1991 – 28 February 1991) in its combat phase, was a war waged by  from 35 nations led by the United States against  in response to Iraq's  arising from oil pricing and production disputes.   

Well, I believe that listening to a shortwave radio in the 80’s and 90’s was far more exciting then than now when over 120 countries had stations active on the bands. Thanks to support from a global network of listeners and monitors we were able to make weekly updates on what was being heard on the wireless. And will never forget the programme we made about the Russian invasion of Lithuania on 17th of January 1991. While the world was focusing on an invasion in the Gulf, our listening antennas we turned towards Vilnius. Towards the end of the programme, we also had a short update from the Gulf. The photo shows a Russian jamming station in Vilnius designed to block shortwave broadcasts coming from the West. 

Jonathan Marks here with another dip into the Media Network vintage vault. I think, listening to shortwave radio in the 80’s and 90’s was far more exciting then than now when over 120 countries had stations active on the bands. Thanks to support from a global network of listeners and monitors we were able to make weekly updates on what was being heard on the wireless. And on anniversaries, like 10 years after the Falklands conflict in 1982, we were able to give the story much more context. I’ve been looking for this programme from 1992 for some time, but now here it is. We also asked Dr Kim Andrew Elliott to report on a meeting of International broadcast bureaucrats. We can see that the broadcasters were having problems defining their mission. And when it comes to frequencies, Jan Willem Drexhage said that at a conference in Budapest 1180 incompatibilities.    Feedback on this programme or the collection welcome to  

In February 1985, I helped to organise a rather special event over the weekend of 16th February. We broadcast live from the new Flevo transmitter site and invited ham radio operators from around the world to contact us. We were using some of the largest HF antennas in the world - 120 metres high. Today nothing remains of those giant beacons to the world having been demolished in 2019. But I like to think that for several decades more people came to know that Flevoland was the source of some very interesting programmes. This was the edition broadcast at 0930 UTC to Europe.

35 years ago on Feb 16th 1985, a small group of radio enthusiasts "misused" the giant shortwave broadcast antennas on the new Flevo transmitting station near Zeewolde. At the weekends, the new station was off the air, the old shortwave broadcast site in Lopik being still operational. So we made a series of regular broadcasts from the Flevo station, using the transmitters at Lopik. And the engineers lashed up a special plug so we could connect ham radio gear to the new antenna masts to see how far we could be heard. It was a fantastic success, to a point where the official launch of the station a few months later was a bit of an anticlimax. This was the first transmission at 0730 UTC directed to the Pacific. 

We’re trying to solve some reception problems from Dushanbe. There are changes going on with Grundig North America, with the transfer of the design from Fuerth to California. Lou Josephs recommends shopping around for receiver bargains. 47th Street Photo adds 8% sales tax. We talked to Richard McLaughlin of LOWE electronics about the HF225 and HF150. Benelux and Germany are the strongest markets. They will launch the HF250 at Dayton. Radio Netherlands will launch its HTML pages on April 21st 1995. A special AM station on the NAB convention. Arthur Cushen heard it on 1660 kHz.

This was our regular visit to the Berlin Funkaustellung, held in those days every two years. 50,000 people would stream through the gates of the exhibition centre in Berlin to see new Hi-Fi and marvel at new shaped television sets (16 by 9). Most of the technology we talk about in this edition has long been superseded, but it makes for a nice recollection. There is also a call to Ireland to discuss the future of Irish shortwave broadcasting.

. Chris Greenway reports that jamming under Vatican Radio is actually aimed at an Iraqi clandestine. There’s a station called Iraqi Army Radio. We follow up on the Cherry Ripe Numbers Station. A listener recognised the music and played the melody over the phone. (It was later traced to a site in Australia). A Czech listener shares some thoughts on cryptography.  AWR announces plans for a facility in Paraguay, Latin America. WRN has a new audio service from London. There is a discussion about the existing RN lunchtime broadcast. We played the Radio Morania spoof. Our Big Bells Contest means you have to identify 5 bells all played at once. We look at India’s investment in new shortwave transmitters. AIR is making more use of 13732 kHz. The EDXC conference will be held in Denmark this year. Victor Goonetilleke reports on programmes from the Philippines aimed at their nationals in the Middle East. He reports that the modulation is poor on many of these stations.  

Review of the Sounds Interesting programme from the old Hilversum Broadcast Museum. We set up a special station PA6RNW. We contacted Ben Witvliet at the Radio Netherlands. Madagascar relay station. SKY Radio has built up a dedicated following (12%) leading to other commercial radio stations pushing for FM frequencies. We discuss how the FM frequencies in the Netherlands will be redistributed. HitRadio1224 are complaining about the way things are being handled. RCI Is still waiting to find out about whether cuts will be coming to Canada’s International Broadcaster. Radio Australia is also in the line of fire with a call for a switch from television and away from shortwave. Voice of America might be switched off by the year 2000. We spoke with VOA Director Geoff Cowan. Andy has news from Montserrat. George Wood has a go at making a Media Network jingle and sharing news about the Radio Sweden website – love those complicated URL. ORF also had a complicated one.

MN.25.03.1993. A spring edition of the programme including: UK Police in Cheshire played a prank on scanner listeners. Professor John Campbell is back after a short break. He is still interested in clandestine stations, especially in Sudan, Cambodia, Ethiopia and in the area of Iran and Iraq. Although there are not as many stations, they are more interesting to follow. UK Gold on Astra has started carrying BBC World Service. We talk with Elizabeth Smith, Controller of English Services at BBC World Service who explains the plans. As France elects a new conservative government, the future funding of both RFI and RFO is uncertain. Eric Beauchemin reports from Tahiti where he discovered the FM dial has been turned upside down by the launch of commercial stations. This is an excellent feature full of local station identifications. This country was a regular in the reports from Dan Robinson as the was a regular catch in North America.

Silly girlfriend opening. Tim Hendel asked about the Sony ICF100T. Irish Eyes are smiling in County Mayo. MidWest Radio, Box 1, Mayo Ireland is making programmes in German, French, Spanish, Italian, Irish, St Patricks Day starts at 12 -16 UTC.  11715 kHz using 250 kW. We broadcast our in-depth review the AOR-7030 first production line. Retails in the UK at 799 pounds. Our review proved to be quite controversial , even though the conclusions were very positive.  Arthur Cushen has news about the Cook Islands.

A warm welcome on a wintry day. Receiver survey feedback reveals shortwave sales are dropping. Voice of Nigeria has returned to the air.  WRTH reports that Radio Jordan has expanded its output. Kim Andrew Elliott reports on the fire at the VOA Relay station in Sri Lanka. We air the independent receiver review of the Drake SW1, Finally, we catch up with developments at Channel Africa in Johannesburg and Diana Janssen talks to the new Director. Finally Mike Bird has worrying news about budget cuts which may affect Radio Australia. (Thanks to Edward Zigoy for corrections to the line-up)

A week of shifting emphasis. Radio Vlaanderen International cancels German, Arabic and Spanish. They have decided to use Juelich site in Germany for broadcasts to Europe. In Indonesia private stations will, at last, be able to air their own news programmes instead of just relaying RRI. Donald McDonald of the ABC explains how they are going to cut 27 million AUS dollars from their budget. We look at the end of Sport7, a shortlived commercial network in the Netherlands. We investigate the strange new business network called Stocks and Funds based in Atlanta. Dennis Thompson, ex BBC Frequency Manager has been asked to set up the schedule. The programme concludes with a visit Diana made to the Baygen Freeplay clockwork radio factory in South Africa.  

A news and science features edition of the programme. Victor Goonetilleke reports a problem on Radio Netherlands CIS relay – a loud hum. Arthur Cushen reports wider distribution of Radio Netherlands Dutch language material in New Zealand via Echo Radio. Space feature: We report on the European SOHO project and the results of the coronagraphs. Interview with Piet Maartens on the line from the Goddard Space Centre. We investigate a new top-level communications receiver one of the first software driven DSP receiver the Kneisner+Doering KWZ 30. We never got the chance to review the set because shortly after introduction one of the founders passed away. Interview with Hans Juergen Kneisner. Mike Bird comments on why shortwave receivers in Australia are so expensive. There is a 37% tax on sets and the market is small. Lou Josephs updates online audio. There has been a problem with compatibility. Netscape announces several new versions of their browser suite.

Will Ireland to return to shortwave? Michael Collins advises us of a radio conference in the West of Ireland where the keynote speaker will be Simon Spanswick. There is an extensive visit to SES Astra in Luxembourg. We get the tour from Yves Feltes. When the steel industry went down, the Luxembourg government looked for ways to diversify its economy. Satellites were the answer. 

A regular edition of the programme. Across the Americas opening. We take a call from Lima Peru and talk to George McLintock station manager WWCR which has been airing some controversial programmes on shortwave. Victor Goonetilleke reports what’s going on in the Sri Lankan conflict between the government and the Tamil Tigers. 

One year after the fall of the Berlin Wall, radio colleague Kim Andrew Elliott jumped in my car and we toured some of the famous Eastern European radio stations. We went to Budapest, Prague and Berlin sending faxes in advance in the hope of getting the station tour. In Prague we were given a grand tour of Radio Prague and heard from several people what it was like to work in the English section. We also went to see Radio Free Europe (photo) operating from the old Czech parliament building. Studios were inside mobile vans on the floor of the building because permanent changes to the building were not allowed. I thought this edition of the programme was lost because the tape went missing. Luckily a CD copy has survived. Nice to hear the voice of the late Olrich Chip (Peter Skala) once again.

Many recordings of the predecessor of Media Network were not preserved. There was pressure on producers to recycle tapes since the large 30-minute reels cost 25 Euro each in those days. However, I quickly argued that many of the documentaries and Media Network specials would have value later - and I'm glad I put tapes aside for later. When I took over "DX Juke Box" in August 1980, the first thing I did was replace the music with features about broadcasting. The quality of phone calls was still poor, but we could be far more topical. In January 1981 I made this feature with several guests, including Richard Measham of BBC Monitoring, where we explored the changes at Radio Moscow and also spoke with those who were fascinated about the complex Soviet media scene. Remember that very little was published about this vast network of transmitters in the West. The programme concludes with off-air recordings of several Soviet stations. Remember this is a programme I made 38 years ago. No Internet. No Facebook. Just a s