MN.31.12.2019 Romanian Revolution 1989

This video edition started when I found six cassettes I recorded during Christmas 1989. Radio Bucharest, which had traditionally been a boring propaganda station during the Ceausescu dictatorship suddenly become the voice of Romanian liberation. This is the story of the People's Revolution and how it changed the lives of the broadcasters at Radio Bucharest. This is primarily an audio production, but I did want to add some video footage I made during a visit to Bucharest in 2006. As far as I know, the stories heard here have not found their way into other media. So the idea is to add to the storytelling around the Romanian revolution. Always interested in feedback to medianetworknewseries@gmail.com

MN.20.04.1995. Receiver Updates

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 episode is hosted on the Media Network vintage vault

MN.31.08.1995 Funkausstellung

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 Most of the technology we talk about in this edition has long been superseded, but it makes for a nice recollection.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.

This episode is hosted on the Media Network vintage vault

MN.19.01.1995. Bells Cherry Ripe

. 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.  

This episode is hosted on the Media Network vintage vault

MN.15.06.1995. Dutch FM Reorganises

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.

This episode is hosted on the Media Network vintage vault

MN.25.03.1993. Tahiti Campbell

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 shortwave service was a regular catch in North America.

This episode is hosted on the Media Network vintage vault

MN.10.12.2019. Lifeline VIDEO documentary

 

Libsyn is the home of Media Network's AUDIO productions. From 1980 to 2000, I produced and hosted a communications magazine on Radio Netherlands, the Dutch International broadcasting service. We made over 1000 editions of Media Network. Just over half of those shows still survive and are now on-line. Since then I have travelled the world several times in search of the stories of what made shortwave international broadcasting such a fascinating place to be towards the end of the 20th century. I am currently exploring what’s left of the Radio Netherlands archive.
Here’s another VIDEO discovery. In 1997 I contributed to a documentary commissioned by Radio Netherlands TV department, released on the 70th anniversary of international broadcasting, or so we thought at the time. It looks rather slow-paced by today’s standards of documentary producing. But there is some rather rare footage of Radio Tirana in Albania. If you were listening to a shortwave radio at the end of the last century many of these names will be familiar.

You will find it here: https://vimeo.com/378609827

This episode is hosted on the Media Network vintage vault

MN.10.December 2019. The Lifeline Video Documentary

From 1980 to 2000, I produced and hosted a communications magazine on Radio Netherlands, the Dutch International broadcasting service. We made over 1000 editions of Media Network. Just over half of those shows still survive and are now on-line. Since then I have travelled the world several times in search of the stories of what made shortwave international broadcasting such a fascinating place to be towards the end of the 20th century. I am currently exploring what’s left of the Radio Netherlands archive.

Here’s one discovery. In 1997 I contributed to a documentary commissioned by Radio Netherlands TV department, released on the 70th anniversary of international broadcasting, or so we thought at the time. It looks rather slow paced by today’s standards of documentary producing. But there is some rather rare footage of Radio Tirana in Albania. If you were listening to a shortwave radio at the end of the last century many of these names will be familiar.

MN.07.03.1996. The AOR 7030 Review

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 in the UK, even though the conclusions were very positive.  Arthur Cushen has news about the Cook Islands.

This episode is hosted on the Media Network vintage vault