Short Wave Radio

[Silver Bear]

Re: Short Wave Radio

The BBC isn't much better. They are the mouthpiece of the British government. I totally lost faith in the BBC over issues relating to 7/7 that were discovered by independent researchers.

The BBC television News is mainly celebrity culture, middle-class feminist issues and a vague chat about current affairs. The Today Programme is even worse: Sarah Montague almost pants with excitement when a Z-List celeb is mentioned, even a dead one. World Service radio is slightly better.

The thing about the Russian strategy (exemplified by Russia Today) is not that it's propaganda as in the Communist era, but sowing the seeds of doubt and uncertainty, which is a much cleverer strategy and (although we're not actually at war of course) a classic wartime tool. Putin is a brilliant strategist.

[Arran]

Re: Short Wave Radio

Nowadays there's 'fake news' which is much more insidious and subtle than propaganda because it causes confusion. Take Russia Today TV, for example. It doesn't present the Russian way of life as 'superior' to the West's but sows doubt and uncertainty in the viewer's mind about whether he is being told the truth by the mainstream media. It also peddles conspiracy theories that come from the far right, the far left, Wikileaks, etc. The source doesn't matter - the crucial thing is the confusion and doubt. None of this is surprising when we remember that Russia is headed by an ex-KGB man.

The BBC isn't much better. They are the mouthpiece of the British government. I totally lost faith in the BBC over issues relating to 7/7 that were discovered by independent researchers.

[Silver Bear]

Re: Short Wave Radio

MI5 used to have a team that monitored the content of communist and other propaganda SW stations. I'm wondering if it still exists or have they almost given up on it like the police have almost given up monitoring Usenet.

Nowadays there's 'fake news' which is much more insidious and subtle than propaganda because it causes confusion. Take Russia Today TV, for example. It doesn't present the Russian way of life as 'superior' to the West's but sows doubt and uncertainty in the viewer's mind about whether he is being told the truth by the mainstream media. It also peddles conspiracy theories that come from the far right, the far left, Wikileaks, etc. The source doesn't matter - the crucial thing is the confusion and doubt. None of this is surprising when we remember that Russia is headed by an ex-KGB man.

[Arran]

Re: Short Wave Radio

MI5 used to have a team that monitored the content of communist and other propaganda SW stations. I'm wondering if it still exists or have they almost given up on it like the police have almost given up monitoring Usenet.

[Silver Bear]

Re: Short Wave Radio

Unlucky

Maybe I got lucky landing on Radio Luxembourg

Seem to recall it being Kid Jensen unless that's false memory syndrome or something


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I didn't find it 'unlucky' but was quite amused at the time to hear an old Music Hall song (those are outside our time period on this site I know). I got a lot of Dutch and Belgian radio and as far as Italy on my crystal set - and the medium wave version of Radio Moscow. I can't recall getting Radio Luxembourg (on which Kid Jensen was a DJ) but I listened to that on my regular wireless set.

[Zincubus]

Re: Short Wave Radio

In the mid-70s I also built a 'crystal set'. The first words I heard on it were 'My old man said follow the van/And don't dilly dally on the way'. It had tuned straight into Radio 2 (which at that time was still a bit like the old Light Programme in the evenings).

Unlucky

Maybe I got lucky landing on Radio Luxembourg

Seem to recall it being Kid Jensen unless that's false memory syndrome or something


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Silver Bear]

Re: Short Wave Radio

I recall assembling my own 'Crystal' powered radio[emoji4]
About 50 years ago and listening to Radio Luxembourg or something - it's kinda blurred [emoji4]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

In the mid-70s I also built a 'crystal set'. The first words I heard on it were 'My old man said follow the van/And don't dilly dally on the way'. It had tuned straight into Radio 2 (which at that time was still a bit like the old Light Programme in the evenings).

[Silver Bear]

Re: Short Wave Radio

I remember the two most powerful stations on SW that I used to be able to pick up was the BBC World Service and Deutsche Welle.

I remember tuning into Deutsche Welle in the 70s: the Germans have always had powerful radio transmitters.

[Silver Bear]

Re: Short Wave Radio

162kHz was used for France Inter. A state owned generalist radio station roughly similar to Radio 2. LW broadcasts ended in 2016 and France Inter is now only broadcast on FM. The frequency is now used for the TDF time signal.

183kHz is used for Europe 1. An independent radio station established in 1955 for France and French speaking Switzerland. The transmitter is actually located in Germany because when Europe 1 was established privately owned radio stations were prohibited in France. Europe 1 is also available on FM.

216kHz is used for Radio Monte Carlo. An independent radio station established in 1943 that's indirectly owned by the governments of France and Monoco. The transmitter is located in Roumoules in France and was switched on in 1974. Radio Monte Carlo is also available on FM.

234kHz is used for RTL. A French language independent radio station established in 1933 as Radio Luxembourg. RTL is also available on FM in France and Luxembourg.

I think the answer to your question is that LW is effective at covering a large area, and two of the radio stations had their transmitters located outside of France because in previous decades privately owned radio stations were prohibited in France. Of the two radio stations that are officially French, Radio Monte Carlo only started being broadcast on LW in 1974, and France Inter has been switched off on LW.

I remember all these stations, especially France Inter and Europe 1. The situation was somewhat like the UK in the era of Radio Luxembourg and the pirates - the latter continuing after the creation of LBC in 1973 because the broadcasting laws remained quite restrictive until the end of the following decade. Reggae and other Black music was mainly broadcasts from pirates in that era (there was a recent BBC documentary on this which I wonder if anyone saw?).

[Zincubus]

Short Wave Radio

I recall assembling my own 'Crystal' powered radio[emoji4]
About 50 years ago and listening to Radio Luxembourg or something - it's kinda blurred [emoji4]


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[victorbrunswick]

Re: Short Wave Radio

I remember the two most powerful stations on SW that I used to be able to pick up was the BBC World Service and Deutsche Welle.

[Arran]

Re: Short Wave Radio

It's noteworthy that LW is effective for national broadcasting 100 to 200 miles from the transmitter whereas SW is effective for international broadcasting over a distance of more than 1000 miles.

[Silver Bear]

Re: Short Wave Radio

I've heard Radio Monte Carlo used to have an English service like Radio Luxembourg, & some British DJs had shows on it before going to Radio 1 & 2.

Yes, I remember it from the 70s and I also remember picking up a Monte Carlo based 'cheesy listening' station on a visit to Nice in 1997: possibly it the same one.

[Richard1978]

Re: Short Wave Radio

I've heard Radio Monte Carlo used to have an English service like Radio Luxembourg, & some British DJs had shows on it before going to Radio 1 & 2.

[Arran]

Re: Short Wave Radio

Agreed, but I’m still wondering why the French in particular got into long wave (‘grandes ondes’ as they call it).

162kHz was used for France Inter. A state owned generalist radio station roughly similar to Radio 2. LW broadcasts ended in 2016 and France Inter is now only broadcast on FM. The frequency is now used for the TDF time signal.

183kHz is used for Europe 1. An independent radio station established in 1955 for France and French speaking Switzerland. The transmitter is actually located in Germany because when Europe 1 was established privately owned radio stations were prohibited in France. Europe 1 is also available on FM.

216kHz is used for Radio Monte Carlo. An independent radio station established in 1943 that's indirectly owned by the governments of France and Monoco. The transmitter is located in Roumoules in France and was switched on in 1974. Radio Monte Carlo is also available on FM.

234kHz is used for RTL. A French language independent radio station established in 1933 as Radio Luxembourg. RTL is also available on FM in France and Luxembourg.

I think the answer to your question is that LW is effective at covering a large area, and two of the radio stations had their transmitters located outside of France because in previous decades privately owned radio stations were prohibited in France. Of the two radio stations that are officially French, Radio Monte Carlo only started being broadcast on LW in 1974, and France Inter has been switched off on LW.