Belfast, Maine Radio History Located here is the start of some interesting research on the radio history of Belfast, Maine, including in particular that of the RCA which purchased the facility of ship-to-shore International Radio Telegraph Company in 1921. The site contains some interesting photos, plus an audio clip of a UK-to-US relay via belfast in 1925.
Frank Conrad's Garage Here is an NPR audio version of the Frank Conrad-KDKA-Westinghouse story, including an interview with Harry Mills, who actually heard one of the early (1919) broadcasts from Frank Conrad's garage, some 35 miles away, and a 1930s recreation of the Harding-Cox presidential election results broadcast. There is also a recording of Frank Conrad's voice, made in the late 1930s.
Radio Row Although some of the links on this page do not work, others do, and you will enjoy reading about Cortlandt Street, New York's old time "radio row." Even better, there is a link to an excellent NPR program about Radio Row that is available in RealAudio format.
Netherlands Radio One hundred years ago, on January 11, 1904, the Netherlands passed its first law in which radio was mentioned. In the century since then, there has been a lot of legislation involving radio, and the Dutch Radiocommunications Agency has opened this website to highlight significant milestones in words and pictures. Unfortunately, the site is in Dutch. However, the pictures are worth looking at. (Thanks to information from Andy Sennitt, Radio Netherlands)
Sound of Spark--II Tinfoil.com's June 2004 "Cylinder of the Month" is an over-the-air recording of a long-distance spark radiotelegraph transmission (you can hear the signal fade in-and-out) which they believe was recorded around 1915. (Thanks Thomas H. White & Horacio A. Nigro)
IEEE History Center The History Center of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers at Rutgers University has a Milestones Program which thus far has identified 50 milestones honoring significant achievements in the history of electrical and electronics engineering. Although these cover a wide variety of technological events, of special interest to DXers will be those dealing with the Alexanderson alternator, code breaking at Bletchley Park, the directive shortwave antenna, shortwave transmissions from Byrd's 1934 Antarctic expedition, reception of Transatlantic radio signals, radio station KDKA, and others.
First Transatlantic Ham Contact This is a brief story of the first contact, which was in 1923, between hams in France and Connecticut. Also see http://www.eht.com/oldradio/awa/events/transatlantic/1sttransatlantic.htm for photos of the stations.
Sayville Wireless Station-I This is the homepage of the Friends of Long Island Wireless History, which is dedicated to preserving the historic Telefunken/Sayville Wireless Station in Islip. Here you will find a nice history of the station, which was one of the most powerful wireless stations of World War I, said to have played a role in both the Lusitania sinking and the Zimmerman telegram affair.
Sayville Wireless Station-II This is another site about the historic Telefunken/Sayville Wireless Station in Islip, Long Island.
Sounds of Spark Learn some of the technical aspects of spark transmitters, and hear what they sounded like.
FCC--Early Radio There is a wealth of interesting radio reading at in the early reports of the Federal Radio Commission (precursor to the FCC; look under "Annual Reports of the FCC to Congress") and the first report of the FCC.
Charles Herrold Here is more on the man whom some say was the first broadcaster, including a chronology of his life and information on his water-cooled microphone (with interesting photographs).
The Complete Lee de Forest This is an excellent site, containing much biogarphical information about "the father of radio," highlighting his role as broadcaster, inventor, husband, defendant, writer and hollywood figure, and his legacy. There are some very nice photos here, plus longer text from the AWA under "broadcaster" and extensive links under "biography" and "inventor."
Marconi Calling There is much interesting material at this "on line museum" maintained by the Marconi company. The site focuses on the details of Marconi's life, with references to associated people, places and photographs, along with film clips, audio files, newspaper clippings, ephemera, etc. Also of interest is a shorter but very informative general overview of Marconi's life and of the company that bears his name. Another nice touch here is a bibliography of other sites and books about Marconi, plus the original Marconigrams surrounding the sinking of the Titanic and reports and documentation compiled during the inquest into the sinking. There is a lot of material here.
Radio Service Bulletins (1921-1927) Radio Service Bulletins were issued monthly by the Bureau of Navigation, Department of Commerce, from about 1914 into the early 1930s to keep mariners and others abreast of developments in the then-new medium of radio. Radio was used for radiotelegraphy, ship-to-shore and ship-to-ship communications, and increasingly as the 1920s and 1930s advanced, broadcasting. The bulletins reproduced at this FCC site offer a snapshot of the state of the radio art during these years. There is a wealth of interesting information here. However, while there is a list of some highlighted articles, there is no index, and thus these materials are time consuming to browse.
SOS, CQD, and the History of Maritime Distress Calls Here is a good history of wireless distress calls, with refernces to early publications. Contrary to popular belief, these signals were not adopted because of their meaning, e.g. "Come Quick, Danger" or "Save Our Souls." CQD was simply the general call, "CQ," followed by "D," meaning distress, and SOS was adopted "simply on account of its easy radiation and its unmistakable character."
Stubblefield's Wireless The story of another contender for "father of wireless." Includes bibliography.
Documenting Early Radio Radio journalist Elizabeth McLeod offers interesting and detailed descriptions of some of the recordings of early radio (1920-1935) that have survived. Although a few recordings are included, the site is mostly text--but very informative.
Early Broadcasting FAQs Radio historian Barry Mishkind succinctly answers many basic questions about early domestic U.S. radio: How and when did it begin? What frequencies were used? How was early radio regulated? Where did the "W" and "K" call letters come from? He also defines many radio "firsts."
Guglielmo Marconi (in Italian) Guglielmo Marconi (in Italian) This "all Marconi" site contains much text, photos and audio relating to the father of radio. Although it is in Italian, it is still worth a look around.
Invention History at the Lemelson Center: George H. Clark Radioana Collection This is a guide to the George H. Clark Radioana Collection at the National Museum of American History, which is part of the Smithsonian Institution. This is one of the most extensive collections of the history of wireless and radio in the United States. In addition to information about the collection itself, this site contains brief company histories of the De Forest Company, the Marconi companies, the National Electric Signalling Company, R.C.A. and Telefunken, plus a chronology of significant events in the history of the radio industry from 1895 to 1927.
E. H. Armstrong This site seeks to present "a collection of interesting . . . documents and artifacts" from the life of the inventor of FM broadacsting and the regenerative and superheterodyne circuits, "like a visit to a museum's back room, where you might browse through a rarely opened filing cabinet, or spot an interesting artifact." It contains many interesting documents from Armstrong's life, and is best viewed via the "selected highlight" option.
United States Early Radio History Web author Thomas H. White offers a great deal of interesting information at this site, including full-length articles and extracts on early U.S. radio, radio-related government documents circa 1907-1924, and original articles by white on early callsigns, pioneer stations and other aspects of early radio. The author continues to update this valuable, site, and has painstakingly converted many interesting paper articles to HTML for the benefit of web radio researchers.
Who's On First? This is a brief treatment of the age old question, which station was first.
The History of Broadcasting, 1920-1960 This is a small table linking you to brief descriptions of various aspects of radio. For the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, the viewer can read short vignettes about broadcasting, radio homes, stations, networks, commercial operations and programs. The originator of this site, Dr. Marvin R. Bensman, is founder and director of the Radio Program Archives at the University of Memphis. If you are interested in early radio programs, check the Radio Program Archives website.
World of Wireless Radio Museum This Netherlands site, available in English and in Dutch, contains a time line from 1900 to 1934, featuring brief stories about various radio-related events during the period, including transatlantic tests and broadcasts, early stations, and the Nazi radio band in Holland and the appearance of wartime Radio Oranje over the BBC. Click on "History."
Outline of Radio to 1923 This is a reproduction of an article by John V. L. Hogan, written in 1923. It is an interesting description of the development of radio up to that time, and includes a number of interesting diagrams and photographs.
First Radio Broadcast in Argentina The story of the first broadcast transmission in Arghentina, August 27, 1920. Also included is a list of other "first" milestones, before and after this one, and a bibliography.
Atwater Kent There is much here about this famous name, including history, magazine ads, and high quality pictures of many A-K receivers.
David Sarnoff The Sarnoff Corporation is the successor organization to the David Sarnoff Research Center and the RCA Laboratories in Princeton, New Jersey, and specializes in high tech research projects. In addition to information about the company, this site contains some interesting history about David Sarnoff.
The Radio Boys "The Radio Boys in the Flying Service," "The Radio Boys Under the Sea," "The Radio Boys With the Forest rangers"--these youth novels conjure up visions of radio's early "gee whiz" days. This site is devoted to The Radio Boys and other 1920s youth novels that were devoted to radio themes. There is an interesting table containing sales figures for these and other youth series. For a list of all the Radio Boys (and Radio Girls) books, go to: http://users.arczip.com/fwdixon/seriesbookcentral/radiob.html
Radio Club of America This club was founded in New York City in 1909 as the Junior Wireless Club. Among its members have been some of the biggest names in radio communications, past and present--Armstrong, Sarnoff, Hazeltine, DuMont, etc. Click on "History of the Club," and be sure to click "Next" at the bottom of each page to be taken on a grand text-and-pictures tour of the very earliest days of wireless, and the club.
Rescue At Sea This website highlights the PBS program "Rescue At Sea," which chronicles the collision of the passenger ships "Republic" and "Florida" in 1909, 47 miles off Nantucket. It was on the former that Jack Binns made his historic "CQD" transmissions resulting in the rescue of more than 1500 passengers. Binns became a celebrity (and in fact was named as author of the Foreward to some of the early Radio Boys books). Although the video is not viewable on line (it is available for purchase), the website contains a transcript of the entire program along with other interesting information. (Click on "Special Feature" and listen to "The Jack Binns Song.")
Radio in the 1930s: Static in the Attic As a teenager, Eric Shackle listened eagerly to lots of strange stations at home in New Zealand. Late at night, with his ears within a few inches of the speaker of a huge Warner superheterodyne console receiver, he was happily oblivious to the deafening cracks of static electricity crashing through the speaker, to the great discomfort of his long-suffering and over-tolerant parents. Here you can share his DX memories, and also view a wonderful article by Shackle about DXing that appeared in a 1938 issue of the Brisbane (Australia) Sunday Mail. Note: The above URL takes you to http://www.hard-core-dx.com/news/1930dx.html where it appears the article is actually posted.
International Radio Week Tests In the mid-1920s, a series of tests were arranged whereby many North American stations would close down so that DXers would have a better chance to hear foreign stations. This is the fascinating story of those tests.
"The Distant Listener" This is a delightful tale of webauthor Dan Phillips' visit to the Marconi site on Cape Cod, and incorporates some interesting musings about the early days of broadcast band DXing.
Silver Marshall "Round the World Four" A description and photo of one of the early (1927-28) shortwave radio kits.
"Is International Broadcasting Just Around the Corner"? This is a 1930 Radio News article by NBC general engineer Charles W. Horn about the prospects for shortwave, focusing on the technical needs of the medium, reception difficulties, and program exchanges.
List of Shortwave Stations as of 1926 These are principally utility stations, shortwave broadcasting being still in the early experimental stages.
Radiodifusao em Angola It is in Portuguese, but just the names of the stations will get your DX juices flowing--Radio Clube de Benguela, Radio Clube da Huila, Radio Diamang, Radio Clube de Cabina. This site is devoted to the history of radio in Angola and contains brief histories of the stations, photos of stations, QSLs, radio personalities and station memorabilia. Those who remember the days of Angolan shortwave radio will enjoy this.
BBC--Back to Bush House This site is not well indexed. However, if you are interested in browsing through old photos and stories of BBC World Service personalities starting in the 1950s, check this out. Be sure to click on "General 2" for an interesting story about the BBC Monitoring Service.
BBC Engineering This is a wonderful site to meander around. Especially informative is the historical information about the Daventry and Skelton stations, and the near-encyclopedic, 75 page treatise on the Woofferton transmitter site.
Radio Nordsee International, available through the Wayback Machine at http://web.archive.org/web/20070522172349/http://www.davesden.fsnet.co.uk/rni.html Although at 10 kw. much more powerful than the usual European pirate, RNI was the first offshore European shortwave pirate that was heard in the United States. RNI operated on shortwave at various times from 1970 to 1974 on 6210 kHz. This website tells the story of the station. For more photos and audio, see http://www.offshore-radio.de/RNI/ And for a history of the RNI ship, the MEBO II, go to http://www.offshore-radio.de/fleet/mebo2.htm
PCJ, Holland "So there I am, driving along the Randweg, a road on the southern side of the my home town, Huizen, in the Netherlands. I came up to a roundabout that has been recently renovated and what did I see? A half-size replica of the world's first rotatable shortwave transmitting tower . . . slap bang in the middle of a new roundabout . . . ." See this novel tribute to PCJ.
AFRTS: The First 60 Years This is a brief history of AFRTS and military broadcasting.
A Brief History of British Radio This is, as the name suggests, a primer on the subject. It starts with Marconi and progresses through 2MT, 2LO, Radio Normandie, etc., with a focus on the eventual adoption of commercial broadcasting. Click on Parts I, II and III in the blocks at the right.
BBC: Old Equipment and Memories This is an impressive site, containing pictures of old BBC radio equipment and comments by people who used it. There is a lot here, including interesting information about Broadcasting House in the 1930s and later, many equipment photos, personnel recollections, and some interesting links.
Broadcasting House-A Potted History The BBC's headquarters are in the Portland-stone clad building at the top of Regent Street in central London. The site's author, a BBC employee since 1969, pulls together information about the site from 1214 (!) until Broadcasting House was built and opened in 1932.
LM Radio Museum "Senior DXers" will love this site, which is dedicated to the history of "LM Radio," Radio Clube de Mocambique, Lourenco Marques, Mozambique, a familiar visitor to the international shortwave bands through the 1960s. UK webmaster Chris Turner is still adding to this interesting collection of LM historical items. Be sure to check out the "Sound Bites" section, in particular the 1969 "Trip to the Past" by Darryl Jooste.
Canadian Radio History This part of the Ontario DX Association website presents three interesting aids to understanding Canadian radio history: a timeline for general Canadian broadcasting and a timeline for Canadian shortwave broadcasting (the only radio timelines I have seen going back to 1642), and a valuable list of books dealing with Canadian radio history.
Radio and TV Transmitters in France Although this site is in French, English speakers may enjoy stumbling around it for the pictures alone. Look especially under "Allouis (F. Inter)" and "RFI-Issoudun/Allouis."
Far East Broadcasting Co. This is the "History" section of FEBC's main site. Click on "Timeline" for an FEBC historical timeline.
Radio Normandy-II Tracing its history to 1923, Radio Normandy originated as a project of the Radio Club of Fecamp, France, and was an ancestor of the later free radio movement. Among many other activities, it carried the programs of the IBC (International Broadcasting Company, of Captain Plugge fame) to England. This is a wonderfully detailed site, with many pictures of equipment and other aspects of this famous early radio venture.
History of Springbok Radio While the history here is fairly brief, and with a focus on programming, this site contains some interesting information about this station that was heard for many years on shortwave. Poke around a bit and you will find information about other South African services as well, including Radio RSA.
History of Radio in Israel This is a text section of the Israel Radio International site containing an excellent chronological history of the development of radio in Israel from 1932. Featured are links to interesting pieces of radio-related text: schedules, old radio ads, etc. Of special value is a link http://www.israelradio.org/history/pal-clan.html to Prof. Douglas Boyd's article, "Hebrew-Language Clandestine Radio Broadcasting During the British Palestine Mandate." Unfortunately, many links on this site are inoperative.
ELWA This is a brief site containing memories of some of the missionaries who worked at ELWA in the past.
USCGC Courier. The place of the USCGC Courier as an international broadcasting ship for the Voice of America, operating principally off Rhodes from 1952 to 1964, is well known. Two sites contain interesting insights about the Courier's operation. Fred's Place contains messages about the whereabouts of former shipmates. Chiefs in Greece focuses on a party arranged by the crew. An editor's note observes, "The Coast Guardsmen's names were changed to protect the guilty but the yarn is true and that ain't no sh_t." Also included is an interesting citation by the Commander of the Coast Guard which includes the observation, "In addition, the ship's personnel enjoyed a unique camaraderie with the local community in post-war Greece, which resulted in clubs that helped local orphanages and other need groups."
Voice of America This site contains a narrative on the VOA's history, produced by the VOA Office of External Affairs. Also included is a list of the years during which various individual lnaguage services have been carried on the VOA, and an extensive bibliography.
Vatican Radio--History This is the "History" page of the Vatican Radio website, tracing early plans for a Vatican wireless station (1925) and the opening broadcast of Vatican Radio by Guglielmo Marconi and Pope Pius XI on February 12, 1931.
History of Radio In Australia This is a summary of excerpts from a lecture given by one Dr. Jeff langdon in 1995. Shortwave is mentioned, but it is mostly about domestic Australian broadcasting.
Cable & Wireless: A History As explained on the first page, "This web site has been created to document and explain the history of Cable & Wireless and the family of companies from which it has grown." Although C&W has been principally a utility provider rather than a broadcaster during its many years of operation, it has provided broadcast facilities in various British outposts from time to time. This site has much interesting "pre history." Check especially the Index for a detailed alphabetical list of the contents of the site. Also visit Porthcurno This is an informative site which focuses on the history of the town which was a major U.K. cable station and the hub of the international link of one of the Cable & Wireless predecessor companies, Eastern Telegraph Company.
Radio Normandie The International Broadcasting Co. started transmitting via Radio Normandie in France in 1925. This is an interesting site, and the best part is a wonderful 9-minute RealAudio recording of the station from the 1930s. A program schedule is also shown (slow loading). There is also a longer recording in something called Emblaze Audio, if you have the patience to wait for it. (While mainly a medium wave project, the IBC used some shortwave as well.)
Radio Luxembourg (2) This is one of Europe's most venerable stations, and is still remembered by SWLs from the days when it was on shortwave. Not much history here, but an interesting video montage and some station recordings from the 1930s to the 1960s (you will need the RealPlayer).
Radio Heritage Foundation Run by David Ricquish of New Zealand, this is one of the best radio history sites on the net. Focusing on the Pacific and environs, and on all kinds of stations, radio personalities, etc., it contains a plethora of wonderful material, much of it original, which could sustain days of browsing.
The Schwarzenburg HF Transmitting Station Swiss Radio Internation personalities Bob Zanotti and Bob Thomann present pictures and an historical timeline of this venerable shortwave transmitting site which was closed in 1998. There is also an interesting 20-minute RealAudio recording of the memorial program, "Farewell to Schwarzenburg," which was broadcast at the time of the site's closing and which contains much interesting information.
Sponsored English Radio in Europe During the 1930s These pages show some of the history of the early English-language sponsored or commercial stations that transmitted to the United Kingdom during the 1930s, mainly on medium and long wave, but some shortwave (EAQ, Spain). Included is a list of stations, and reproductions of some printed coverage of the time.
World Shortwave Stations (1931) An International Short Wave Club list including both shortwave broadcast and utility stations.
International Broadcast History This is a country-by-country examination of early broadcasting around the world. Although the information from many countries is missing, and most descriptions are brief, it is a good start. Descriptions of a few countries, like Australia, are fairly well developed.
TI4NRH This is the story of the small Costa Rican shortwave broadcaster that was active in the 1930s, TI4NRH. The station was one of the very first to use shortwave, and was widely heard despite its low power. Station owner, Amando Cespedes Marin, was a renaissance man of his day, and was known worldwide for his various activities, including shortwave broadcasting. What makes this story particularly interesting is that it is based on Don Moore's visit to the original site. It was, as Don puts it, "radio history paradise." Also see http://www.pateplumaradio.com/central/ticogrph.html and look under "May 1933 Union Radio-Americana Magazine" for some interesting pages from a magazine published in connection with the station.
History
of Radio Luxembourg Brief histories of the station for
14 years between 1933 and 1992. This site also has brief
audio vignettes of the station's history in downloading (but not
streaming) RealAudio.
History of the BBC
Under "The Story," this site presents a decade-by-decade
look at BBC history. The entries on each decade page are descriptive
if a bit summary, but they do present a good overview of many
key BBC events. Included as well are relevant links, and RealAudio
clips of portions of particular events and programs, e.g. John
Reith talking about broadcasting, the end of the General Strike
of 1926, Edward VIII's abdication, VE Day celebrations, etc. You
will also find information on the history of BBC buildings, and,
under "Resources," fact sheets for each decade showing
key dates in BBC history, plus a bibliography of BBC-related reading.
This is an excellent site.
History
of Canadian Broadcasting The heart of this site is a database
of brief historical timelines on many Canadian radio and TV stations
assembled by the School of Radio and Television Arts at Ryerson
Polytechnic University in association with the Canadian Communications
Foundation. Look under "Research & Resources" as
well for a nice bibliography of literature on Canadian radio history,
and search under "shortwave" and "short wave"
for a couple of relevant references to that medium.
Radio New Zealand International: A History While this site concentrates on post-1970s shortwave radio in New Zealand, it provides some interesting information on the development of Radio New Zealand over the years.
Wireless Progress in Australia This is a very nice reproduction of a 1930 pamphlet called "Wireless progress in Australia" which covers in 31 pages of text and pictures many of the achievements of Amalgamated Wireless Australasia Ltd. Check in particular under "Broadcasting."
Sponsored Programming in British Radio in the 1930s This article describes the growth of spnsored programming in England. There are many mentions of the International Broadcasting Co. (IBC) which was a pioneer in broadcasting sponsored program to the UK from stations in Europe.
Early Sound Recording Here is more than you will ever want to know about the development of the three major techniques for sound recording in Britain between 1930 and 1939--metal tape, coated film and disc. This article points out the difficulties that attended radio broadcasting in its early days.
BBC Woofferton Starting in 1943, and for much of its early life, the BBC Woofferton shortwave site was operated by the BBC but carried exclusively VOA programming. Here are some notes about the station written by Richard Buckby, who worked there starting in 1963, along with some historical photos. (Be sure to click on the "more photos" link at the bottom of the page.)
Station Recordings These aren't real old, and they are rather brief, but it is fun to click around this site and hear recordings of many interesting shortwave and medium wave stations of the 1960s and 1970s, including a good variety of latin American stations. There are some QSLs here too.
SHORTWAVE BROADCASTING IN THE UNITED STATES
U.S. and Canadian Shortwave Broadcasting Stations (1947) This is an excellent list, showing the various stations (in the U.S.) that had been leased to the Voice of America, their original ownership, frequencies, powers, etc.
Jeff Miller's Broadcasting History Pages Among other interesting items on this (mostly broadcast band) site are a number of lists of stations operating in the shortwave "apex" and early FM bands.
Shortwave Transmitters in the U.S. Part of the Ludo Maes Transmitter Documentation Project, this page contains a list of U.S. shortwave transmitters, including many from the early years.
James Millen Although much of this site is devoted to technical material, there is also some excellent history about James Millen and the company with which he is widely associated, the National Company.
The Day the Martians Landed This is Don Moore's informative account of the 1949 South American equivalent of the famous "War of the Worlds" broadcast in 1938. This time the Martians landed via Radio Quito, Ecuador--with similar results.
How A Vacuum Tube Works All you would ever want to know on the subject.
National Radio Company (Rady Bay) This page of Niel Wiegand (WA5VLZ) is devoted to the National Radio Company. Here you will find a history of the company, a bibliography of articles about National and its equipment, photos of early receivers and reproductions of National ads, and other National-related information.f
Silver-Marshall "Round the World Four" An article from the Antique Wireless Association "Old Timer's Bulletin" about this 1927 four-tube shortwave kit.
Tuning Eyes This is a site devoted to those great little visual "tuning eyes" that were found in radios in the 1930s. Included is history, construction, circuitry, troubleshooting, substitutions, rejuvenation and references.
Shortwave DX in 1936 This is an interesting article from the August 28, 1936 issue of the U.K. publication Radio Pictorial, with an emphasis on what you could hear on shortwave (American stations in particular).
Allied Radio Many SWLs who were active in the 1950s and 1960s will remember Allied Radio, the source of the popular Knight Kit line. The Allied catalogs delighted radio electronic enthusiasts everywhere. The company moved to Fort Worth in 1970 and is still in business as Allied Electronics. This company history appears on the company website.
"The Interval Signal--A Vanishing and Endangered Species" - This was the site for the English radio magazine, Radio Days. It reproduced two interesting articles about identifying stations. The first is from a 1936 issue of the BBC publication, World Radio, and discusses interval signals, their value, how they are produced, and the history of some of them. The second article is from a 1931 issue of the Italian publication LíAntenna. It expresses the frustration of listeners to international stations in having station IDs given infrequently and inconsistently, and offers some ideas for improving the situation. Although the site is now defunct, we have salvaged the text.
Phil's Old Radios--Literature Click on the old Admiral radio graphic, then on "Radio Literature," for more than 50 magazine covers from the 20s and the 40s, with particular emphasis on Radio News. In addition to cover pictures, there are brief references to the contents. Click on the thumbnailed photos for larger, high resolution versions of the graphics.
Radio Advertisements This site, Ad*Access, features tons of advertisements from the J. Walter Thompson Company Competitive Advertisements Collection of the John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising, and Marketing History in Duke University's Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library. The site concentrates on five main subject areas, including radio and TV. Click on "Browse Ad*Access" and then choose the "Radio (1922-1956)" subject category and one of the five time periods that will appear. Pick one and see the ad titles. Included are receivers, parts, programs, World War II ads and much more. The ads can be selected in full-screen and larger than full-screen sizes for easy reading (although slower downloading). The ad titles could be a little more descriptive, but you will have fun clicking around this site nonetheless.
Arthur T. Cushen The late Arthur Cushen was known worldwide during most of his DXing years from 1937 to 1997. This is his description of his radio career. Be sure to click on the link at the bottom of the page, "Tributes to Arthur," for notes on his funeral and observations from many who knew him.
EKKO Stamps This web edition of an article by Wayne Gilbert, "EKKO, ECHO, EKKO, ECHO," which appeared in Antique Radio Classified in 1997 covers the origins of EKKO stamps, and includes several high resolution, closeup photos of these interesting DX artifacts.
EKKO Stamps Again Another article about these venerable old verifications.
Classic SWBC QSL Home Page Georgia DXer Phil Finkle presents a nice collection of some 34 shortwave broadcast QSLs from the 1930s and the 1950s. Photos of the backs of the cards as well as the fronts adds a nice touch.
Radio Stamps Bart Lee of California presents a nice summary, with illustrations, of various kinds of radio-related stamps, including the early wireless telephone franking stamps, EKKO stamps, cinderellas, and postage stamps. (This article was originally published by the California Historical Radio Society in 1994.)
Vintage Reception Reports At this site is some interesting (if brief) history of the Finnish shortwave broadcasting site at Lahti, Finland which was in use in the 1930s and 1940s. More interesting, perhaps, are copies of two reception reports received by the station in 1939, one (from Japan) being almost unbelievable in its detail, the other (from New Jersey) being just the opposite.
Warsaw Uprising 1944 This site is about two clandestine Polish radio stations, military "Lightning" and the civilian Polish Radio, that broadcast from the German-occupied territory during World War II. The "Lightning" broadcast in Polish, English, and German was on the air four times a day between August 8 and October 4, 1944. Typical programs included reports from embattled Warsaw, appeals for assistance, the Home Army's combat communiques, and patriotic songs and poems. "Lightning" was heard as far away as New York. The site contains witness accounts of these efforts as well as photos and recordings.
Gray and Black Radio Propaganda Against Nazi Germany This is a paper presnted by the author, Robert Rowen, to the New York Military Affairs Symposium on April 18, 2003. It is fairly concise, but contains worthwhile introductions to some of the well-known wartime broadcasting operations, including Gustav Siegfried Eins, Atlantiksender, Soldatensewnder Calais, the Aspidistra transmitter, and others. It is based principally on the work of Sefton Delmer. A biography at the end contains suggestions for further reading.
Black Boomerang Black Boomerang is a highly regarded book by Sefton Delmer which tells the story of the World War II psychological warfare effort that Delmer headed in Britain, in particular its clandestine broadcasting efforts which included stations like Gustav Siegfried Eins, Soldatensender Calais and Atlantiksender. The book was published in 1962. Now it is available in part on line, thanks to the efforts of Sefton Delmer's son, Felix Sefton Delmer. At this URL you will find the first part of the book. The second part is expected to be posted soon. In some respects the on-line version improves upon the original in that it includes photographs (none in the book) and references to an interesting on-line database of wartime black propaganda leaflets <http://www.psywar.org/> Thanks to Felix Delmer for informing www.ontheshortwaves.com of this important effort.
Aspidistra At this URL you will find information and pictures of the site of the wartime Aspidistra 500 kw MW transmitter taken on a visit there. The transmitter was originally built in the U.S. by RCA for station WJZ in New Jersey, but it went into service instead near Crowborough, England, mainly as a "black" clandestine transmitter. A lengthy article on the transmitter is posted at <http://members.aol.com/skywave48/aspidistra.htm>
Konigsberg Radio Not all shortwave, but here you will find some interesting information about a station that was active in Norway during the German occupation. Thanks to Svenn Martinsen for telling us about this site.
British Propaganda In World War II This site contains some interesting, if not very detailed, information about British propaganda broadcasting in World War II, including photos and brief recordings. Pages are included on Sefton Delmer, Aspidistra, Atlantiksender and Soldatensender, Electra House, the Gawcott and Potsgrove radio stations, and other radio-related topics. Click on "PWE" (Political Warfare Executive) and "PID" (Political Intelligence Department). This web site is the creation of a team of parents whose children attended Emerson Valley Combined School, Milton Keynes.
KSAI-Saipan, VOA, WW II Here are some interesting pictures of the VOA Saipan MW station that was active during WW II. We have added a link to a QSL from the station that is contained in the Roger Legge QSL collection (Committee to Preserve Radio Verifications).
Tokyo Rose (EarthStation1) Part of the EarthStation1 website (see below), this is a useful telling of the tale of Iva Toguri, a/k/a Tokyo Rose. One of the most interesting aspects of this site is the inclusion of relevant .wav and RealAudio files, and even RealVideo, including the full "60 Minutes" treatment of Tokyo Rose program in 1976. There is also a valuable archive of some 200 Tokyo Rose-related photographs.
Tokyo Rose (Dyar) Though without the audio video of the EarthStation1 site noted above, this is also an excellent telling of the story, with a nicely detailed bibliography for further reading.
WW II Propaganda Broadcasts The EarthStation 1 "Radio Propaganda Sounds & Pictures Page" contains many interesting audio clips from World War II, including wartime "turncoats" Tokyo Rose, Axis Sally, Lord Haw Haw, Robert Best, and Paul Revere, and Station DEBUNK. Other interesting wartime audio and graphics can be found here as well (EarthStation1 homepage URL, with notes on latest updates.)
WLW Transmitter Page All you would ever want to know about the WLW 500 kw. medium wave experiment, including a great many photos and links to other "Crosley" sites. Worth a look. Another 500 kw. medium transmitter, built by RCA for the use of WJZ in New Jersey, never went into service because of the termination of the WLW 500 kw. experiment by the FCC, and was eventually sold to the British government to become widely known as the wartime "Aspidistra" transmitter. A recent message on rec.radio.broadcasting from a visitor to WLW indicated that the 500 kw xmtr is still on site. It has been cannibalized for parts and is no longer functional (it was kept operational into the 1960s, 20 years after it was last authorized for experimental use).
Armed Forces Radio While nominally a review of the 1948 book by Kirby & Harris, Star Spangled Radio (Ziff-Davis), this site contains some interesting personal recollections about radio in the armed forces radio (particularly the Pacific).
Armed Forces Radio Service I & II "The Directory of the Armed Forces Radio Service Series" (AFRS I) and "Command performance, USA!" (AFRS II) are books published by Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc., and are noted here for those interested in delving further into the programming of AFRS. The directory details the output of transcriptions from AFRS from the beginning in 1942 up to 1967. "Command Performance" was first broadcast to troops in 1942 and was one of the most popular AFRS programs.
"The Man Who Was Lord Haw Haw" - This article, taken from the British publication Radio Days, suggests that Lord Haw Haw, the well-known Britisher who broadcast to England on behalf of the Nazis, was a source more of amusement than fear to ordinary Britons, most of whom disapproved of his execution. The author says that his trial for treason was basically a show trial bottomed on a dubious assessment of his British citizenship. The Radio Days site is now defunct, but we have salvaged the text.
Phil's Old Radios--Trans-Oceanics This section of "Phil's Trans-Oceanic Page" contains a nice group of photographs and writeups about these receivers. Click on the thumbnail photos for larger images.
Adventures in CyberSound This is part of the Australian CineMedia site. In Technology and Society, look under "Radio" and "Radio Propaganda" for essays and articles on various aspects of early radio and early radio pioneers.
Halper's History of Radio Although not shortwave oriented, this website by well known Emerson College radio historian Donna Halper traces radio's development during the period 1931-1947.
Paul's Radio Museum--How Radio Used to Sound The audio files here are not all vintage and not all shortwave, but included are recordings of World War II broadcasters Radio Normandie, Radio Luxembourg and Reichsender Hamburg.
Construction of Radio Equipment in a Japanese POW Camp This is a fascinating (if a little unbelievable) story told by Lt. Col. R. G. Wells of the U.K. about how he and some fellow prisoners constructed a regenerative radio receiver (and a transmitter) while they were POWs in British North Borneo in 1942.
WRUL Here are some interesting reminiscences of a Boston radioman, including WW II listening, his employment at WRUL, and his ham radio activities.
IBB, Playa de Pals, Spain This International Broadcasting Bureau transmission site was in operation from 1959 to 2001. This website, which has been assembled by an engineer who worked at the site, contains hundreds of interesting photos and documents, and even some brief video clips, related to the station and it's transmitters, antennas, control room, power supply, etc., as well as its background and various events at the station. Click on the Union Jack, and then follow the drop down menus at the top of the page for a very comprehensive tour around the station.
Clandestine Radio--An Anti-Castro Historiography The heart of this site is a list of the anti-Castro stations operating duering the period 1981-1995, with each categorized as white, gray or black, plus a small number of audio clips and QSL-cards. Click on "Active Clandestine Stations" for a list of clandestine broadcasters that were (as of 2000) renting airtime to broadcast to Cuba.
CBC Archives--Our Voice to the World: 60 Years of Radio Canada International This site features audio clips of historical events in the life of the CBC International Service, including the launch of the service, serving Canadians overseas, broadcasting behind the iron curtain, etc. Be sure to check "10 additional clips" at the bottom of the page.
BBC Ascension Relay Station If you are wondering what it was like to start up the BBC Ascension Relay Station, here are some reminiscences by Phil Brooks, a member of the station's first operational staff.
Radio Free Europe - Radio Liberty The two Hoover Institution sites located here provide a very nice history of Radio Free Europe-Radio Liberty. "Radio Liberty: 50 Years of Broadcasting" contains a detailed timeline, plus information about prominent people in RL's development, the various RL language services, and RL's organization. "Voice of Hope: The Story of Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty" presents another outline of RFE-RL history in nine panels.
Jamming in the USSR, Poland and E. Europe Here, in multiple languages (English, Russian, Polish, Czech and Lithuanian), is a wealth of information about jamming. Starting with an English essay on the subject by Rimantas Pleikys ("Articles" in English), the site also contains scans of original source documents on jamming, audio samples, and an extensive bibliography. If you want to know more, you can also order the Pleikys book, "Jamming."
A Broadcast Engineer in Korea This brief account centers on an engineer's experiences at AFRS-Korea medium wave stations, but includes a few mentions of shortwave. Contains some nice photographs.
Radio Jamming in Estonia This interesting website was composed by I. Hallas, who worked in an Estonian jamming station in 1955. The article details the jamming process, including frequencies, antennas, personnel, organization, and how the noise was made. One of the most interesting parts is the photos, made in 1956 and 1957. "It was strictly forbidden to talk to any acquaintance or relative about the work. Needless to say, photographing the objekt [the station] was just as strictly forbidden. Getting caught could have brought with it a 25 year prison sentence. Nevertheless, we took pictures, talked about our work, and sometimes, at night, even brought in friends to show them the jammers. No one got caught."
WNYW Earlier known as WRUL, WNYW brought a private U.S. "sound" to the international airwaves. Long time broadcast professional and SW hobbyist Lou Josephs worked for the station for a time, and offers some interesting audio cuts and samples of WNYW memorabilia, along with some other material about Radio Sweden, the Swiss Shortwave Service, and other topics.
Far East Network This interesting site is intended principally for former FEN personnel, and contains all manner of interesting history about FEN, including recordings of old programs.
Drake Virtual Museum All you ever wanted to know about the venerable manufacturer, including history ("Drake . . . 45 year old") from its startup in 1943, as well as photos, specs and comments about the entire Drake line.
Radio Prague History This is part of the official website of Radio Prague. The station traces its history back to 1936, and also describes interesting experimental shortwave transmissions before that.
The MEBO II This site describes a 1971 visit to the MEBO II, famed home of Radio Nordsee International, one of the first European offshore pirate broadcasters heard worldwide on shortwave.
Barlow-Wadley In 1971 the South African Barlow-Wadley XCR-30 receiver became the first to boast the then-new phase locked loop circuitry which permitted direct frequency dialing. This page is dedicated to this receiver, and features technical information and photos.
WPE calls If you were a "WPE," that is, if you were assigned one of the WPE or WDX "callsigns" issued to shortwave listeners by Popular Electronics in the 1960s and 1970s, you will want to check this site. You can look at what the WPE certificate looked like, and read the comments of many people who had these "callsigns."
