One of the great concert pianists of the twentieth century has departed. Van Cliburn died this morning at the age of 78. He is best remembered as the winner of the 1958 International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow—a victory that contributed to the “thaw” of the Cold War in late 1950s and early 1960s. Van Cliburn […]
Archive | International
Zimbabwe government bans radios, sees independent shortwave broadcasts as a threat
Last week police in Zimbabwe banned the use of so-called “specially designed radios” capable of receiving shortwave broadcasts from outside the country, not just FM broadcasts from the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Company which is loyal to President Robert Mugabe’s party. According to the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) the law is aimed at hand-cranked and […]
The Mighty KBC serves long-haul truckers over shortwave radio
If you’ve ever found yourself scanning the AM dial during a late night road trip on the highways of North America, then you’ve probably encountered one of the radio networks that serves truckers with country music, call-in shows, and information tailored to long-haul professional drivers. They rely on the long-distance capacity of AM to serve […]
Hundreds of international producers submit tributes to World Radio Day
In celebration of World Radio Day 2013, almost 350 producers have submitted one minute tributes to the wrd13 website. They come from Egypt, Ireland, Columbia, Bulgaria, Indonesia . . . pretty much everywhere. You can listen to them via this catalogue. And you can upload your own recording for the event. No need to be […]
Global radio will converge at the Gwenstival in Switzerland
Happy World Radio Day Radio Survivor readers! Apropos, every year Radio Gwendalyn puts out a call for radio visions and the Swiss web radio outlet airs them during The Gwenstival. This year the celebration of adventurous radio content will stream in FM over two cities in Ticino—the southern and Italian speaking region of Switzerland—they being Mendrisiotto […]
Special Events to Mark World Radio Day on February 13
The 2nd annual World Radio Day is scheduled to take place in less than two weeks, on February 13, 2013. According to UNESCO’s website, World Radio Day is “a day to celebrate radio as a medium; to improve international cooperation between broadcasters; and to encourage major networks and community radio alike to promote access to […]
Media abuse? Australian radio’s tragic crank call
A second shoe has dropped on one of the worst incidents in Australian radio history. Media owner Southern Cross Austereo has announced the cancellation of the “Hot 30” show from 2Day FM (104.1)—”Sydney’s Number 1 Hit Music Station.” That’s the program whose hosts decided to have a little live crank call fun in December. They […]
Looking for great folk/country/rock radio? Go Indigenous
I’ve forgotten exactly how I stumbled on the National Indigenous Radio Service of Australia, but I am glad I did. It has one of the best folk/country/rock streams I’ve ever heard. Faith Hill . . . Neil Young . . . under-appreciated songs like Warren Zevon’s Splendid Isolation, mixed in with a foundation of wonderful […]
Voice of America opens up FM signal to Mali
The Obama administration has not decided whether it should provide support for France’s air strike campaign against rebels in Mali. But the US’s Voice of America is on the scene with a new FM transmitter, “part of a stepped up response to the Malian crisis,” according to a press statement. The transmitter will broadcast content […]
Community Radio in the 21st Century offers Comprehensive Look at Radio around the World
As the calendar turns to November, many of us are starting to think about holiday gift lists. There are always lots of great radio-themed gifts to choose from and books are often at the top of my list. Earlier this year I was sent a copy of the anthology Community Radio in the Twenty-First Century. […]