His dad was murdered. Just outside Tulsa. You probably never heard about it. //

Paul Aurandt grew up. At age 22 he got married. Shortly thereafter, America entered the War. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps.

After military service, he would move to Chicago. There, he would land a job at WENR, reading the news. The experience of growing up without a dad would imbue him with empathy such as had never before been seen in his line of work.

He would change his name. This new on-air name would become a household name, garnering an audience of 24 million daily listeners. Each listener, tuning in to hear him say what he said after each five-minute broadcast.

And now you know the rest of the story.

Station Idents and Interval Signals

Lilliburlero

Trumpet Voluntary

Above: Used for many years on the BBC World Service (formerly the General Overseas Service) before news bulletins Lilliburlero is a traditional Irish tune.

Above right: The European Service signature tune, the Trumpet Voluntary. Attributed to Purcell on the label, but now generally thought to be by Jeremiah Clarke.

Right: The Call Sign for the Pacific, Eastern, Colonial and North American Services. The original recording dates from 1948

The answer to the ever-shrinking pool of qualified engineers is (drum roll, please) more I/O. That was just one takeaway from our second Studio Master Class hosted by Jay Tyler with panelists Rob Bertrand, CEO for Inrush, and Alex Bonello, Insoft (HDVMixer).

The premise is that the more I/O, the more pathways you have to the components in the airchain for troubleshooting and fixing problems remotely. Rob pointed out that adding more Blade I/O seems like overkill at first, but it’s often impossible to troubleshoot and correct problems remotely without that access. “There are not enough of us out there to keep all the stations going that need help. We’re going in and constantly thinking, ‘What can we leverage to ensure that we’re able to respond wherever we are, to whatever problem comes up for a client?’” commented Rob.

“Unfortunately, we’re not growing new broadcast engineers,” agreed Jay, adding that Blades decentralize the Ethernet switch as a practical, affordable way to get to problems quickly in the absence of a nearby engineer.

The National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting has been around for more than 20 years, but a project supported by a $500,000+ grant has transformed its World War II-vintage building — the former VOA Bethany “relay station” transmitting plant — into a world-class repository of communications history and knowledge.

The 30,000-square-foot, two-story building was deeded over to the township of West Chester, Ohio, following the VOA’s closing of the station in 1994.

You would cry too, if you were losing a compensation package bigger than the salary of the president of the United States. In 2022, CPB CEO Patricia Harrison’s compensation was $524,000, according to the CPB’ most recently available 990 tax exempt form. //

Each year, Congress gives CPB loads of federal taxpayer money, and CPB decides the amount to give to 1,581 public radio and television stations. But the Big Beautiful Bill trimmed CPB out of appropriations, meaning it gets zero money instead of the $1.07 billion it expected for 2026 and 2027. //

In 2022, CPB gave KSDP $211,000. The radio station’s total revenue was $265,000. The CPB portion could have been paid by Harrison’s salary alone for two years. The folks at KSDP might be angry to learn that their annual budget for the compensation packages for all employees combined that year, ($141,067), was slightly less than Harrison’s 2022 bonus ($144,645). At least one person on the KSDP staff has a second job.

If the CPB board really cared about keeping broadcasting viable in small towns like Sand Point, it would not have a huge, overpaid staff in Washington, D.C.

In 2022, CPB spent $19.3 million on salaries and benefits. At least 14 CPB employees that year had compensation packages worth more than $260,000. Of those, five employees were paid over $470,000. //

The Aleutian Islands are not a typical U.S. community and there KSDP radio may actually be a treasure to the 6,000 residents in its listening area, but in 2022 it only took in $1,650 in contributions; zero in membership drives; and just over $18,000 in “underwriting,” which is tax-free advertising. The station is almost fully subsidized by U.S. taxpayers. That is how it works at most public broadcast outlets.

Six-fader, two-bus Axia DESQ console is a cost-effective, small-footprint console option perfect for small production studios, remote vehicles, content ingest stations, etc. //

DESQ requires no countertop cutout and takes only 16” square of desk space; it connects to the QOR.16 integrated console engine with a single power/control cable. DESQ is ideal for standalone installation, but works with larger Axia networks too. A DESQ control surface and a QOR.16 integrated console engine constitute a complete RAQ system, but two DESQ consoles, or one RAQ and one DESQ console, may be paired with a single QOR.16 for cost-effective multi-console deployment.

Now, the Axia iQ family takes a step into the virtual AoIP future with iQs, the software version of iQx that does not require a physical surface. iQs is a soft console controlled by a full HTML5 interface, allowing you to not only control a mix from anywhere, but on any device—Mac, Windows, tablet, laptop, even your phone!

Imagine mixing/producing audio on a tablet or a smartphone anywhere, at any time! Imagine a console that has no hardware and runs entirely on any reliable and easily sourced computer platform. Now imagine it can also interface with all the equipment you have now.

Axia Altus–a software-based audio mixing console controlled by any device with a modern web browser. Altus represents the future of innovation where both advanced audio mixing and flexible deployment converge.

WallTime is a NTP synchronized studio clock and notification system that works with your standard computer monitor or television.  The clock is kept always in sync using Network Time Protocol (NTP).  It can take the place of stand alone clock systems, notification systems, on-air lights and more.

Complete system ready to connect to your monitor. No PC is required.

$450
Includes WallTime device, power supply, HDMI cable and velcro for attaching to monitor.

We start our D-Day Memorial Broadcast around 5:00 pm EDT on the evening of June 5th and it'll run through at least twice before I switch to something else.

Since Eastern Daylight Savings Time is the same as Eastern War Time, the NBC D-Day Broadcasts will begin at roughly the correct time of 2:45 am on June 6th.

Want to create a radio station? Let's get started.
Automate your schedule, broadcast live, and track listeners from one easy-to-use platform. Welcome to Radio.co.

Imagine the scenario. Britain has been wiped out by a surprise nuclear attack.

The prime minister has been killed. Should Britain's nuclear submarine fleet launch its own missiles in retaliation?

It's a decision that will hopefully never have to be made. //

The UK has four submarines capable of carrying Trident nuclear missiles.

Since 1969, one of those subs has always been on patrol, gliding silently through the world's oceans. //

Every prime minister has to write four letters - one for each submarine. They are addressed to the Royal Navy commander on board. They are usually handwritten.

The letters are locked in a safe aboard the submarine and destroyed, unopened, every time a new prime minister comes into office.

It's not known exactly what they say.

"There are only so many options available," says Prof Seligmann

"Do nothing, launch a retaliatory strike, offer yourself to an ally like the USA or use your own judgement.

"Essentially, are you going to use the missiles or not?" //

"The submarine has to make a judgement that the UK has been hit by a nuclear strike," according to Prof Seligman.

"The commander does that by trying to make contact with the UK via Naval Command or listening out for radio signals."

It's thought one of the key tests is whether the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 is still broadcasting.

If all the checks fail, the commander will go to the safe, remove the letter and find out what the orders are.

Beginning in the early 1980s, UK homes could have electrical meters installed with a radio teleswitch attached. These switches listened for a 198 kHz signal from the BBC's Radio 4 Long Wave service, primarily broadcast from the powerful Droitwich Transmitting Station. These switches listened to 30 messages per minute, waiting for a certain 50-bit data packet to arrive that signaled that electricity was now at cheaper, off-peak rates ("tariffs" in the UK).

With this over-the-air notice, homes that bought into Economy 7 or Economy 10 (7 or 10 hours of reduced-price power) could make use of ceramic-stuffed storage heaters that stayed warm into the day, prepare hot water heaters, and otherwise make use of off-peak power. How the electrical companies, BBC, and meters worked together is fascinating in its own right and documented in a recent video by Ringway Manchester (which we first saw at Hackaday). https://hackaday.com/2025/04/10/farewell-economy-7-a-casualty-of-the-long-wave-switch-off/

But BBC Radio 4's Long Wave transmissions are coming to an end, due to both modern realities and obscure glass valves.

Two rare tungsten-centered, hand-crafted cooled anode modulators (CAM) are needed to keep the signal going, and while the BBC bought up the global supply of them, they are running out. The service is seemingly on its last two valves and has been telling the public about Long Wave radio's end for nearly 15 years. Trying to remanufacture the valves is hazardous, as any flaws could cause a catastrophic failure in the transmitters.

Rebuilding the transmitter, or moving to different, higher frequencies, is not feasible for the very few homes that cannot get other kinds of lower-power radio, or internet versions, the BBC told The Guardian in 2011. What's more, keeping Droitwich powered such that it can reach the whole of the UK, including Wales and lower Scotland, requires some 500 kilowatts of power, more than most other BBC transmission types.

As of January 2025, roughly 600,000 UK customers still use RTS meters to manage their power switching, after 300,000 were switched away in 2024. Utilities and the BBC have agreed that the service will stop working on June 30, 2025, and have pushed to upgrade RTS customers to smart meters. //

Arstotzka Ars Scholae Palatinae
8y
970
Subscriptor++

Taunted Happy Fun Ball said:
Seems like the obvious solution would be for the regulator to decree that any customer using an older meter following the shutoff will be billed at the off-peak rates for all usage.

Then watch the utilities fall all over themselves to deploy updated meters.

It's rare you can have a technological solution to a people problem, but here it is -- the last transmission before shutdown can be "switch to cheap rates". The utilities will figure it out, after all, because it might cost them money. //

jvok Smack-Fu Master, in training
3y
7

plectrum said:
This is the BBC conveniently lying because it suits them. Nautel recently-ish (2017) installed a 2MW solid-state transmitter for Antenna Hungaria on 540kHz. Their NX400 system is based on stacking phase-locked 25kW modules feeding into a combiner - just buy as many modules as you need. 600kW is no problem - at 90% efficient they're much more efficient than vacuum tubes (50-60%).

I think the bottom line is the BBC just doesn't want to spend the money, on either upgrading the transmitter or on the power bill. Which is fair enough - LW reception is only getting worse given the amount of RF smog from power supplies nowadays so there aren't so many listeners out there any more - but they should own up to it.

I completely buy the idea that the transmitter needs replacing (its 40 years old after all), and that the limited number of listeners left on longwave doesn't justify the expense. It fits with the BBCs and other broadcasters pattern of closing down other legacy services over the last few years (e.g. the local radio AMs). The content broadcast on 4LW is the same as you get on Radio 4 FM and DAB now anyway, the opt-outs (e.g. for cricket coverage) were discontinued a few years back. Hell, how many people even still own a longwave radio?

I get a serious case of Gell-Mann amnesia reading that Guardian article though. I get the impression that the author heard some off-hand comment about the transmitter using valves and decided to turn it into some "OMG critical BBC infrastructure is still using old school valves" story. Even calling them glass valves (which isn't accurate) to invoke images of us all gathering round the wireless like its still the 1930s. When in reality high power transmitters using valves is pretty normal and they're still manufactured today. But of course the public doesn't know that so it still makes for a good story. //

video series on how the 900MHz system in the US works.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYlhncU2MojDY9gxU36pxNVkiylGGcbwq&si=D0j-q_xzW_uuYAQp

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr has put the Public Broadcasting System and National Public Radio on notice that he has ordered an investigation into those outlets for violating federal law by airing paid advertisements. //

As Carr says in his letter, it is one thing to credit underwriters, but you cross the line into advertisement when they "promote the contributor's products, services, or businesses, and they may not contain comparative or qualitative descriptions, price information, calls to action, or inducements to buy, sell, rent, or lease." //

Musicman
24 minutes ago
Let them run all the advertising they want...and cut off ALL government funding. I remember when this all started as “educational” TV. Ha! Now it’s propaganda TV and radio.

We're quality-obsessed radio programmers and music collectors with decades of on-air experience at top-rated major market stations, networks, and program syndicators. In this company's 16 years, we've delivered over 15,000 music libraries or fresheners to radio stations worldwide

Radio stations get the best music in the world from RadioMusic's 117,000 songs. Sold to on-air & Internet stations with music licenses ONLY.

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La Société suisse de radiodiffusion (SSR) est créée le 24 février comme organisation faîtière des sociétés régionales de radio. Le Conseil fédéral octroie à la SSR une concession exclusive pour diffuser des émissions radio en Suisse.

Radio Television Switzerland

Radiologik is a system suitable for both live DJing and 24/7 radio automation on the Mac that uses the Music app (or iTunes in previous macOS versions) as its database and those playlists as the logical building blocks for sophisticated programming.

Radiologik was developed for and is used in LPFMs, NCE-FM, college and high school stations, and online stations. It's also used by radio and live venue DJs, Sirius/XM channels, and is licensed to users in over 60 countries. Fully automated and unmanned stations use Radiologik to pick content by date, intro and outro artists and titles, announce the time, station ID, play podcasts, manage and play advertising by a separate schedule that integrates with the programming schedule, all completely autonomously. //

1. Radiologik DJ Download here

• Radiologik DJ can be used by itself as a DJ program for live events. It is also the player Radiologik Scheduler uses to make a full-time automated radio station.

Equally good: Live or full automation

• Radiologik is meant to be an equally good live assist and full automation DJ for radio so you can walk right in and take over and leave as you wish.

3 hot changeable audio outputs and 1 preview

• Radiologik DJ's primary is the program queue which essentially uses the first 2 players and the third for tight fits and voiceovers. It has 3 on-air players which can be sent directly to 3 distinct audio outputs with the right hardware. You get one more 4th audio output meant for off air used by the library player for previewing and properties player for editing ramp, start, stop, overlap, etc. //

2. Radiologik Scheduler Download here

• You can use the scheduler to run a 24/7 automated terrestrial or internet station. Basic and Advanced features are the same download and can be switched from the application menu.

• It uses iTunes/Music as its database utilizing playlists and particularly smart playlists for song selection with its own top logic using a weekly schedule.

• Radiologik Scheduler Basic is Free with DJ. It supports picks and fills from iTunes/Music playlists with time instructions, artist separation, unique track checking, and best fit exact time searching for top of the hour placement for station IDs or other arbitrary times.

• Radiologik Scheduler Advanced is a mode for scheduler which further supports voiceover intros and outros for specific tracks, artists, albums. It includes support of scheduling spot/ad flight runs, podcast subscribe and play, silence sensor, date matching track titles, and time announcements and sells for just $96.00.

A few months ago, our AM radio hot dog experiment went mildly viral. That was a result of me asking my Dad 'what would happen if you ground a hot dog to one of your AM radio towers?' He didn't know, so one night on the way to my son's volleyball practice, we tested it. And it was awesome.

There's a video and some pictures in my hot dog radio blog post from back in March.

Fast forward a few months and one Open Sauce later, and Jay from Plasma Channel visited us in St. Charles, MO, for round two—where my Dad and I were prepared to measure (almost) everything: SWR, RF forward power, SDR on site, AM field intensity 25km (16mi) away, meat thermals, and—courtesy of Jay—some taste testing!

Our OTR Library and Rotations

We play the widest variety of any old time radio station on the internet!