Post #1194268

2026-01-25 20:18 UTC

@vfrmedia @FediThing The BBC world service radio (not Satellite TV, which is commercial) is funded by UK foreign office and had massive cuts under Tories and not restored by Labour. Radio Canada, Switzerland, Germany Sweden etc all seem to be gone from SW. Plenty on satellite, but it has multiple vulnerabilities and isn't easily portable or battery powered. Some of my portable all band AM/FM radios will go go for months and use D cells. All have about x10 run time than a DAB radio. Late 1990s.

Replies (3)

@vfrmedia@social.tchncs.de 2026-01-25 20:23

@raymaccarthy @FediThing A lot of mainland European countries have gutted out their former HF broadcasting facilities and pulled down the towers for scrap metal - they keep the HF frequency allocations and some like Netherlands will even allow small scale broadcasters to use them, but so far it seems other than the relatively small return by the BBC, only Bucharest and Beijing have any large presence on HF these days (there may be other countries as well still using it but I couldn't understand the language)

Open ##1194269
@PetraOleum@cloudisland.nz 2026-01-25 20:26

@raymaccarthy @vfrmedia @FediThing analogue radios are magical, but alas shortwave is pretty bleak - save for US religious types and CRI, at least from what I get. RNZ Pacific still exists though, which is nice

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@gcvsa@mstdn.plus 2026-01-25 21:08

@raymaccarthy @vfrmedia @FediThing BBC World Service completely abandoned the Western Hemisphere a long time ago.

Open ##1194277