Welcome

When I first started listening to shortwave at the end of the 1970s, it was a very different place. Many countries maintained an international service broadcasting to all corners of the world.

You could tune the dial and travel the world. But over the years these stations have disappeared with only a handful still running international services.

I recorded many of these now long disappeared sounds onto cassette tapes.

I have now downloaded these recordings and can share some of them with you. All these recordings were made in the early years of the 1980s.

So sit back and enjoy the sounds of shortwave from the past.

1980s shortwave sounds - part 13

Here is another collection of recordings from the 1980s including the Voice of Nicaragua in English, a mysterious anti-Castro clandestine called Radio Caiman and American shortwave stations WRNO, WHRI  and KCBI.

Voice of Nicaragua English service - IDs
Christian Science Monitor - sign off
Radio Australia - interval signal, ID
Radio Bangladesh - sign on
Radio Japan - sign off
RAE, Argentina - sign on
WRNO, USA - ID
Radio Tachira, Venezuela - IDs
Voice of Free China, Taiwan - address
Voice of Nicaragua - sign off
Voice of Free China - sign off
KCBI, USA - IDs
Radio Caiman - IDs
AWR Forli, Italy - sign off
WHRI, USA - sign off
WINS, New York, USA - IDs
CJYQ, Newfoundland, Canada - IDs

(18:10 mins)

Here is the link: 
https://www.mixcloud.com/shortwave_listener/shortwave-radio-in-the-1980s-part-13/

I hope you enjoyed this nostalgic trip  back to the shortwave sounds from the 1980s. That's it for these recordings, unless I come across any more old cassette tapes.

1980s shortwave sounds - part 12

Welcome to another collection of shortwave radio clips from the 1980s. Among the stations featured are Radio Earth in the USA, the English service of Radio Damascus and IDs (and propaganda) from Gadaffi-era Radio Jamahriyah.

Radio Nacional, Colombia - IDs
Radio Earth, USA - address, sign off
Radio Sweden - interval signal, sign on
Radio Jamahriyah, Libya  - IDs
Radio National, Chad - ID
Radio Renascenca, Portugal - interval signal, sign on
Radio Nacional de Brasil - sign on

Radio Ljubljana, Yugoslavia - ID
Radio Damascus, Syria - sign on
Radio Uganda - sign off
Radio Norway - sign off
Radio Monte Carlo, Monaco - IDs
Radio Damascus, Syria - ID
BRT, Belgium - ID
Radio Damascus, Syria - sign off
Radio Bangladesh - address, sign off

(13:45 mins)

Here is the link: https://www.mixcloud.com/shortwave_listener/shortwave-radio-in-the-1980s-12/

1980s shortwave sounds - part 11

Here are some more archive recordings from the 80s, including a clip of Radio Nigeria being broadcast via the Voice of Nigeria's external service following a coup in 1983,  Radio Jamihiriyah in Libya and Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation's weekly programme to Cypriots in Britain via the BBC's transmitters on the island.


KYOI, Saipan - ID
United Nations Radio - sign on, IDs, sign off
Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran - sign off
Radio Luxembourg - ID
Radio Nigeria, Lagos - interval signal, military announcements after coup
Radio Korea, South Korea - interval signal, ID
Radio Lara, Venezuela - ID
Radio Sutatenza, Colombia  - IDs
Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation - sign on
Voice of Hope, Lebanon - IDs, address
Voice of Lebanon - sign on, sign off
KFBS, Saipan - test announcement
KYOI, Saipan - IDs
Radio Japan - announcement about Gabon relay station, sign off
Radio Jamihiriyah, Libya - sign on, address, sign off

(19:23 mins)

Here is the link: https://www.mixcloud.com/shortwave_listener/shortwave-radio-in-the-1980s-11/

1980s shortwave sounds - part 10

This collection has quite a Latin American feel with archive recordings from Venezuela, Argentina, Nicaragua and La Voz del CID (Cuba Independentiente y Democratica) broadcast from Radio Clarin in the Dominican Republican aimed at Cuba. There's also a clip of Radio Luxembourg's English service signing on 1440 kHz (208m) with their "station of the 80s" jingle.

Radio Mediterranean Int, Malta - sign on, sign off
Radio Turismo, Venezuela - IDs
Radio Tachira, Venezuela - IDs
YVTO time signal station, Venezuela - ID
La Voz del CID, Dominican Republican - IDs
Radio Clarin, Dominican Republic - ID
RAE, Argentina - IDs
Radio Tallinn, Estonia - Interval signal, ID
Radio Tashkent, Uzbekistan - sign on
Broadcasting Service of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - Interval signal, sign on
La Voz de Nicaragua - IDs
Radio Cameroon - IDs
Radio Luxembourg English service - sign on

(16:51 mins)

Here's the link:  https://www.mixcloud.com/shortwave_listener/shortwave-stations-in-the-1980s-10/

1980s shortwave sounds - part 9

There a few domestic services included in this latest batch, including recordings from Radio Illimani, Bolivia; Radio Nigeria; Radio Rivadavia, Argentina; Radio Nacional, Paraguay, and CJYQ, Canada. 

Voice of Free China, Taiwan - ID, sign off
United Arab Emirates Radio, Dubai - ID, sign off
Radio New Zealand - sign off
Blue Danube Radio, Austria - sign on, ID
Voice of Hope, Lebanon - sign off
Qatar Broadcasting Service - address

Radio Illimani, Bolivia - ID
Radio Nigeria Home Service - interval signal, ID
Radio Jordan - ID
Radio Rivadavia, Argentina - ID
Radio Free Europe - interval signal, sign on
Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation - ID, address
International Christian Radio - sign off
Radio Nacional, Paraguay - ID
Radio Australia - sign off
Radio Mediterranean, Malta - sign off
RAE, Argentina - sign on
CJYQ, Canada - ID
Radio Jamariyah, Libya - sign off

Here's the link: https://www.mixcloud.com/shortwave_listener/shortwave-stations-in-the-1980s-9/

(18:59 mins)

1980s shortwave sounds - part 8

Here are some more shortwave (plus a medium wave station) stations from the past including Radio
Pyongyang, Deutschlandfunk and the International Committee of the Red Cross, which used SWiss Radio Int's transmitters. Bizim Radio was a Turkish clandestine.

Radio Pyongyang, North Korea - sign on, sign off
WWVH, Hawaii - address
Deutschlandfunk English service, West Germany - sign on, sign off
Italian Radio & Television Service - sign on
Radio Japan - sign on
Voice of Malaysia - sign off
Radio Afghanistan - sign off
United Arab Emirates Radio - test transmission
Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran - sign off
Red Cross Broadcasting Service, Switzerland - sign on, address
Radio Prague, Czechoslovakia - interprogramme IDs
Voice of Nigeria - ID
Bizim Radio (clandestine) - sign on
Radio New Zealand - sign off

(18:36 mins)

Here's the link: https://www.mixcloud.com/shortwave_listener/shortwave-stations-in-the-1980s-8/

1980s shortwave sounds - part 7

This collection of shortwave sounds from the past includes World Music Radio, relayed by Radio Andorra - WMR recently returned to the shortwave with non-stop music programmes via a transmitter in Denmark; Radio Australia signing on its broadcasts to the UK, Radio Denmark - which was no longer broadcasting in English but still made English announcements.

Radio Clarin, Dominican Republic - ID
World Music Radio via Radio Andorra - sign off
Trans World Radio, Guam  - sign on
Radio Australia - frequency announcements
Radio Pakistan - sign on and sign off
Radio Lebanon - sign off
Adventist World Radio - sign off
World Music Radio - sign on
Radio Minsk, Belarus - sign on, address
Radio Riga, Latvia - sign on
Radio Denmark - interval signal and English announcements

(14:33 minutes)

Here's the link
https://www.mixcloud.com/shortwave_listener/shortwave-in-the-1980s-7/

1980s shortwave sounds - part 6

Welcome to some more shortwave radio recordings from the 80s. Among the clips featured include HCJB and the theme music for their popular DX Party Line show, Radio Afghanistan - putting in a good signal thanks to relays from the USSR (which had invaded the country in 1979) - and Radio Moscow asking for listeners to get involved in their programmes.

Tracklisting
Radio Algiers: Sign off
Radio Sweden: Sign on and off
Radio Habana Cuba: Address
HCJB, Ecuador: Address, ID, DX Party Line theme
Radio Moscow North American service: Sign on (using 14 frequencies!)
Voice of Turkey: Sign on and off
Radio Afghanistan: Sign on to Europe
Voice of Free China, Taiwan: ID, address
Radio Dushanbe, Tajikistan: Sign on
Radio France Int English service: Address, sign off
Voice of Vietnam - sign on, address, sign off
Radio Moscow World Service: Listener participation request
Radio Nacional Brasil: Sign on

(22:43 mins)

Here is the link:
https://www.mixcloud.com/shortwave_listener/shortwave-radio-in-the-1980s-6/

1980s shortwave sounds - part 5

Take another trip around the world with more sounds from the 80s, including recordings from Radio 

Habana Cuba, Radio Australia, Radio Finland and Radio Tirana among others.

Tracklisting:
Radio Habana Cuba: Sign off
Radio Australia: Sign on
Radio Vilnius, Lithuania: Sign on and off
Radio Stantsiya Rodina: Interval signal, ID
Radio Finland: Sign on and off
Spanish Foreign Radio: Sign on
Deutsche Welle: Sign off
WYFR, USA: Sign off
Radio Habana Cuba: Sign on
Radio Australia: ID
Radio Kuwait: ID
Radio Tirana, Albania: ID
Radio Bucharest, Romania: Sign on and off
Radio Minsk, Belarus: Sign on

(18:37 mins)

Here's the link
https://www.mixcloud.com/shortwave_listener/shortwave-radio-in-the-1980s-5/

1980s shortwave sounds - part 4

Here is another collection of recordings from the past. AWR, including the theme tune to its World DX news produced by the former World DX Club,  Radio Baghdad putting in a good signal and also clear reception in English from RAE in Buenos Aires - which sadly no longer broadcasts in English to Europe.


Track listing:
Adventist World Radio European service: Address, announcements
Radio Prague, Czechoslovakia: ID, address
Austrian Radio: Sign on and off
Voice of Greece: Sign on
Radio Free Europe: ID in English
Radio Berlin Int, GDR: Sign off
Voice of America: ID, frequencies
Radio Pyongyang, North Korea: Sign off
Swiss Radio Int: Sign on
Radio Baghdad, Iraq: Sign on
RAE, Argentina: ID, address

(15:35 mins)

Here is the link: https://www.mixcloud.com/shortwave_listener/shortwave-radio-in-the-1980s-4/

1980s shortwave sounds - part 3

Welcome to some sounds from the shortwave bands in the early 1980s. Tune into the tropical
band in those days and it would be full of exotic sounds from Asia, Africa and Latin America. On this recording is a clip from Radio Tacna, Peru. Other recordings feature Radio Yugoslavia signing on, Radio Peking - before the Chinese capital was renamed Beijing - and the theme music from the Radio Budapest DX show.


Full tracklisting:
Voice of America: ID
Radio Tacna, Peru: IDs
Radio Station Peace & Progress, USSR: ID, sign off
All India Radio: Sign on
Radio Yugoslavia: Sign on
Radio Peking, China: Sign on and off
Kol Israel: Sign on
Voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran: Sign on
Radio Japan: ID, address
Radio Budapest, Hungary: ID, address, sign off
Radio Habana Cuba: Address
Kol Israel: Address, sign off
Radio Kuwait: Sign on

(15:38 mins)

Here is the link:
https://www.mixcloud.com/shortwave_listener/shortwave-radio-in-1980s-3/

1980s shortwave sounds - part 2

Here is another batch of shortwave recordings from the past. Among the interesting clips are couple from Radio Free Grenada. The Caribbean country was controlled by a left-wing government from 1979 until 1983, when American forces invaded the island.

There is a clip from Radio Station Peace & Progress - the Voice of Soviet Public Opinion, from the USSR, which dominated the shortwave bands during the Cold War.

Full Tracklisting:
Radio Cairo: Sign on
Radio Polonia: Sign on
Radio Free Grenada: IDs
Radio Nacional Brasil: Sign off
Voice of Nigeria: Sign off
Radio Tashkent: Sign on
Radio Canada Int: Sign off
Radio Free Grenada: ID, sign off
Radio Pakistan: Sign on and off
Radio Station Peace & Progress, USSR: Sign on
Radio Portugal: Sign on & off

(19:46 mins)

Here's the link: https://www.mixcloud.com/shortwave_listener/shortwave-radio-in-the-1980s-2/

1980s shortwave sounds - part one

There's some interesting recordings in this first batch of clips from around 1980.

Chile was under the control of the Pinochet military dictatorship, and ran an international service called the Voice of Chile. This clip features the station's interval signal, sign on and close down of its English service.

Radio RSA was the voice of South Africa - still under apartheid rule at this stage.

Radio Norway had an English programme, although it was limited to 30 minutes a week!

Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union, and its foreign service was called Radio Kiev.

Iraq, under the rule of Saddam Hussein, maintained an English service. The clip features Radio Baghdad signing on.

The full tracklisting is:

Voice of Chile: Sign on & off
Radio RSA, South Africa: Sign on & off
Radio Algiers, Algeria: Sign on
Transworld Radio, Bonaire: Sign on, ID
Radio Norway: Sign on & off
Radio Kiev, Ukraine: Address, sign off
Radio Pakistan: Sign on
Radio Baghdad, Iraq: Sign on
Radio Korea, South Korea

(22:01 minutes)

Here's the link:

https://www.mixcloud.com/shortwave_listener/shortwave-radio-1980s/