Deutsche Welle cancels its last daily SW output

[Mediafrog+]

Germany’s Deutsche Welle is cancelling its daily shortwave broadcast in Amharic to Ethiopia for the B-25 season starting October 26. It had been the only remaining daily shortwave output from DW.

Only DW shortwave that will continue is a weekly pair of 45 minute Arabic language broadcasts on Wednesdays beamed to Sudan.

The decline of shortwave continues.

https://static.dw.com/downloads/74352602/B25_Radio_overview.pdf

 

[KC8UOK]

Such a shame. They used to be one of the big ones. Voice of America, BBC World Service, DW and Radio Moscow

 

[CTListener]

Is DW still using its familiar, longtime piano interval signal?

 

[DXingRadio]

WRMI carries some WRN, does any DW get out there?

 

[Steve Green NEPA]

Our LPFM (Standards/EZ listening) featured one of those 'interval' signals each day at noon, along with the voice TOH ID and one done in quick 2kHz Morse code. Most often it was the :30 second prelude to the Sergio Mendes song 'Promise of a Fisherman'. Every so often we'd use something like a Deustche Welle sounder or a Prague one.
The effect was merely an old-line, finger-in-one-ear salute to the Short Wave days that helped reinforce our image. Sometimes the whole song would come up, without the prelude, maybe once a week, at other times. Link below. Incidentally, that's a gal playing the huge church organ part, not Mendes.
Otherwise, the station was a bunch of boomers and Xers -- KIDS playing music their parents' dug. Joyously. As if the songs and artists were as new, topical and current as the day's weather and community events. I was one of the crew who was amazed at how a bunch of punks, hippies, vets, gals and guys found so much of the music -- what's the word? Compelling? Moving? GOOD? -- to seem fresh if we kept the presentation smiling that way.

 

[ted chittenden]

Such a shame. They used to be one of the big ones. Voice of America, BBC World Service, DW and Radio Moscow

I would add AFRTS (which used VOA transmitters), Radio Canada International (RCI), and Radio Yolanda (Netherlands) to that list. And though most of these outlets are available on the Internet now, I really get the feeling that a whole lot of people are not really interested in what is happening in the rest of the world that could affect them eventually.

 

[CTListener]

I would add AFRTS (which used VOA transmitters), Radio Canada International (RCI), and Radio Yolanda (Netherlands) to that list. And though most of these outlets are available on the Internet now, I really get the feeling that a whole lot of people are not really interested in what is happening in the rest of the world that could affect them eventually.

A whole lot still are, but they've never owned a shortwave radio. Even 50 years ago, shortwave listening was already thought of as a geeky hobby. The average American had probably heard about the Voice of America, the BBC and Radio Moscow on network TV or radio news, being mentioned as the source of statements or reports quoted in those newscasts, but that individual was unlikely to have actually heard any of those stations over the air unless there was an old multiband console in the living room or over at the parents' or grandparents' place.

 

[Mediafrog+]

Is DW still using its familiar, longtime piano interval signal?

Haven’t heard that in a number of years on shortwave. The remaining broadcasts usually crash start with programming. The Issoudun transmitters are often 30-60 seconds late in powering up, so the beginning of the transmission is cut off.

WRMI carries some WRN, does any DW get out there?

WRN includes a few DW programs.

WRMI is using WRN as filler following the loss of programming from Brother Stair and Classic Redneck Radio. I doubt WRN is paying for the airtime, so this is a temporary situation.

Such a shame. They used to be one of the big ones. Voice of America, BBC World Service, DW and Radio Moscow

International shortwave from Germany goes back to 1928. Will be the end of a long era when DW drops its last transmission. However the Arabic broadcasts to Sudan might continue for a while given the conflict in that country.

I’m keeping an eye on Radio France Internationale, whose remaining output is in French to Africa with a few African languages mixed in. Given the current fiscal mess the current French government is in, it wouldn’t shock me if the plug was pulled on RFI in the near future.

It also wouldn’t surprise me if the BBC drops its remaining SW output in the next two to five years for similar reasons.

I would add AFRTS (which used VOA transmitters), Radio Canada International (RCI), and Radio Yolanda (Netherlands) to that list.

What is “Radio Yolanda”? I assume autocorrect run amok.🤣

 

[CTListener]

Nederland to Yolanda. Yeah, that's autocorrect for sure.

 

[ted chittenden]

Haven’t heard that in a number of years on shortwave. The remaining broadcasts usually crash start with programming. The Issoudun transmitters are often 30-60 seconds late in powering up, so the beginning of the transmission is cut off.

WRN includes a few DW programs.

WRMI is using WRN as filler following the loss of programming from Brother Stair and Classic Redneck Radio. I doubt WRN is paying for the airtime, so this is a temporary situation.

International shortwave from Germany goes back to 1928. Will be the end of a long era when DW drops its last transmission. However the Arabic broadcasts to Sudan might continue for a while given the conflict in that country.

I’m keeping an eye on Radio France Internationale, whose remaining output is in French to Africa with a few African languages mixed in. Given the current fiscal mess the current French government is in, it wouldn’t shock me if the plug was pulled on RFI in the near future.

It also wouldn’t surprise me if the BBC drops its remaining SW output in the next two to five years for similar reasons.

What is “Radio Yolanda”? I assume autocorrect run amok.🤣

It was my attempt at what I heard when the various transmitters of Radio Netherlands came on the air during the early and mid-1970s. After the the interval and ID signals, the station announcer came on the air and pronounced the name to be, what this 9 to 13-year-od kid then heard as "Radio Yolanda." I suppose that what the announcer really said was "Radio Hollanda."

And, now that I think about it, what I heard came during the Spanish transmissions of the service. So perhaps, the announcer was saying "Radio Jollanda?" Anyway, continue to roll on the floor laughing--I suppose I deserve it.

 

[KC8UOK]

I would add AFRTS (which used VOA transmitters), Radio Canada International (RCI), and Radio Yolanda (Netherlands) to that list. And though most of these outlets are available on the Internet now, I really get the feeling that a whole lot of people are not really interested in what is happening in the rest of the world that could affect them eventually.

I started actually listening to Shortwave in the late 90s. I remember RCI but I don't remember them being nearly as big as the BBC. RCI had two English transmission a day to Europe. Hour long at 2PM and 9PM. Radio Netherlands was of course on Shortwave but I listened on AM at night. 1512 khz. If I recall the only broadcaster that got close to the BBC and VOA was the Voice of Russia. They were everywhere including a huge signal from Kaliningrad that was audible on nothing more than a clock radio or Walkman. I think they were on 500,000 watts. Absolutely stomping all over TWR Albania

 

[CTListener]

It was my attempt at what I heard when the various transmitters of Radio Netherlands came on the air during the early and mid-1970s. After the the interval and ID signals, the station announcer came on the air and pronounced the name to be, what this 9 to 13-year-od kid then heard as "Radio Yolanda." I suppose that what the announcer really said was "Radio Hollanda."

And, now that I think about it, what I heard came during the Spanish transmissions of the service. So perhaps, the announcer was saying "Radio Jollanda?" Anyway, continue to roll on the floor laughing--I suppose I deserve it.

That explains it! The English transmissions used to include the Dutch "Radio Nederland" in the ID. I believe that, later on, only "Radio Netherlands" was used, but in the '60s and '70s, the first words you heard after the tuning (interval) signal and a fanfare was "This is Radio Nederland, the Dutch world broadcasting system, from Hilversum, Holland."

 

[CTListener]

I started actually listening to Shortwave in the late 90s. I remember RCI but I don't remember them being nearly as big as the BBC. RCI had two English transmission a day to Europe. Hour long at 2PM and 9PM. Radio Netherlands was of course on Shortwave but I listened on AM at night. 1512 khz. If I recall the only broadcaster that got close to the BBC and VOA was the Voice of Russia. They were everywhere including a huge signal from Kaliningrad that was audible on nothing more than a clock radio or Walkman. I think they were on 500,000 watts. Absolutely stomping all over TWR Albania

Radio Canada International (earlier, just "Radio Canada") had transmissions to its southern neighbors in North America, too, every morning on 49 or 31 meters from its Sackville, NB, transmitters. I was one of the winners of a letter-writing competition put on by its weekly mailbag show, "Listeners' Corner," back in 1969 or 1970, when I was 14. The prize was a selection of LPs by Canadian orchestras and artists, none of which really interested me at the time, as they were classical and jazz rather than pop or rock or even country. But hey, I won!

 

[Mediafrog+]

That explains it! The English transmissions used to include the Dutch "Radio Nederland" in the ID. I believe that, later on, only "Radio Netherlands" was used, but in the '60s and '70s, the first words you heard after the tuning (interval) signal and a fanfare was "This is Radio Nederland, the Dutch world broadcasting system, from Hilversum, Holland."

Correct, in the 1960s and 70s the station used the Dutch pronunciation of Radio Nederland, which sounded like “Rah-dee-oh Nay-dur-lahnd”. IIRC the name was anglicized to Radio Netherlands in the early 1980s.

It was my attempt at what I heard when the various transmitters of Radio Netherlands came on the air during the early and mid-1970s. After the the interval and ID signals, the station announcer came on the air and pronounced the name to be, what this 9 to 13-year-od kid then heard as "Radio Yolanda." I suppose that what the announcer really said was "Radio Hollanda."

For both the Spanish and French RNW broadcasts the alternate use of “Holland” would sound like “Oh-lawn-duh”. I can now see how that would be confused with “Yolanda”.😆

 

[KC8UOK]

I was one of the winners of a letter-writing competition put on by its weekly mailbag show, "Listeners' Corner," back in 1969 or 1970, when I was 14.

When did they rename it to the Maple leaf Mailbag?

 

[davideduardo]

A whole lot still are, but they've never owned a shortwave radio. Even 50 years ago, shortwave listening was already thought of as a geeky hobby. The average American had probably heard about the Voice of America, the BBC and Radio Moscow on network TV or radio news, being mentioned as the source of statements or reports quoted in those newscasts, but that individual was unlikely to have actually heard any of those stations over the air unless there was an old multiband console in the living room or over at the parents' or grandparents' place.

Very valid points. And confirmed by my international experience.

Still, the "Cold War" created considerable interest in SW, particularly in the U.S.S.R. nations that were beginning to seek independence, such as the 1950's insurgence in Hungary. But by the time Reagan got the wall torn down, SW was vastly less interesting.

Where short wave had a major and popular usage was in underdeveloped nations, such as where I had stations in Ecuador. Few rural areas had local stations, and many did not get the bigger city stations, either. So "tropical band" stations were common. In Latin America, most were private and commercial, but in most of Sub-Saharan Africa and SE Asia, there were government services on Short Wave.

As I have mentioned, I bought an MW / SW combo in about 1966 that was located in a small town a couple of hour's rough drive from Quito. When I moved the AM to Quito, I could not see any commercial value in the SW station, so I turned in the license. That was about 60 years ago, so your estimate of "even 50 years ago" is generous.

 

[CTListener]

When did they rename it to the Maple leaf Mailbag?

Not sure. Maybe when Earl Fisher, the longtime host of Listeners' Corner, retired. What year that was, I have no idea. Fisher was getting on in years in the late '60s, so it was likely sometime in the '70s. I didn't do much SW broadcast listening after my high school years, preferring to chase after utility stations, maritime, aeronautical and amateur radio. The events of the late '80s and early '90s in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere brought me back to SW broadcast listening but not to Radio Canada International -- although I did tune in occasionally to its DX program with Ian MacFarland. I believe Ian was involved with the old "Radio Canada Shortwave Club" program in the '60s.

Today, I listen via WebSDRs (software defined radios) all over the country, and almost exclusively to hams. The noise floor on HF here renders my multiband portable useless.

 

[Mark Roberts]

Correct, in the 1960s and 70s the station used the Dutch pronunciation of Radio Nederland, which sounded like “Rah-dee-oh Nay-dur-lahnd”. IIRC the name was anglicized to Radio Netherlands in the early 1980s.

It should have sounded a little more like “Nayder-lont’…your ears might have heard the devoiced final consonant and “filled in the blank” since it doesn’t sound too much different from “land” (with the “a” being “ah”).

For both the Spanish and French RNW broadcasts the alternate use of “Holland” would sound like “Oh-lawn-duh”. I can now see how that would be confused with “Yolanda”.😆

Technically speaking, Holland is a province of the Netherlands, not the entire country. In English and Spanish, informal usage has “Holland” as a stand-in for the entire country. In Spanish, the correct term is “Países Bajos”; in French “Pays-Bas”, both of which mean “Low Countries”. French has the adjective néerlandais(e) but I don’t think there’s a Spanish equivalent for the adjective other than holandés/holandesa.

 

[CTListener]

It should have sounded a little more like “Nayder-lont’…your ears might have heard the devoiced final consonant and “filled in the blank” since it doesn’t sound too much different from “land” (with the “a” being “ah”).

Technically speaking, Holland is a province of the Netherlands, not the entire country. In English and Spanish, informal usage has “Holland” as a stand-in for the entire country. In Spanish, the correct term is “Países Bajos”; in French “Pays-Bas”, both of which mean “Low Countries”. French has the adjective néerlandais(e) but I don’t think there’s a Spanish equivalent for the adjective other than holandés/holandesa.

The Low Countries are Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. How do Spanish- and French-speakers make it clear that when they say "Paises Bajos" or "Pays-Bas," they're referring only to Holland?

 

[KeithE4]

The Low Countries are Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. How do Spanish- and French-speakers make it clear that when they say "Paises Bajos" or "Pays-Bas," they're referring only to Holland?

I remember decades ago that the Low Countries were referred to as "The Benelux Nations," a contraction of the three countries' names in English into one word. IIRC, R. Nederland and Radio RSA used the term back in the 1970s.