Jen's special Gobble-Gobble Thanksgiving program is ready to celebrate friends and family on this special day. 

Don't miss it - 20:00 - 23:00 UTC, and beyond, with special music of all kinds, plus her own 'Good Giving Thanks' music and more!

Live video available at: 

http://uk4-vn.mixstream.net:8104/index.html

Happy Thanksgiving from Jen in the Rad - with warm greetings to you! 

JenUR@proton.me

Texas Radio Shortwave set to celebrate Six Years

 

Don't miss the two broadcasts on this special occasion!  

Texas Radio Shortwave is celebrating its sixth anniversary on Friday, November 28, 2025. 

.

2000 UTC on 3975 kHz to Europe from ShortwaveRadio in Winsen, Germany, transmitting with 1 kW into a crossed dipole antenna

2300 UTC on 9670 from Channel 292 in Rohbach, Germany, transmitting with 10.5 kW into a 10.5 dB gain beam antenna.

Texas Radio Shortwave uses a version of The Yellow Rose of Texas as its interval. signature song.

Texas Radio Shortwave turns six years old this Friday, November 28, and we’re celebrating in style.  We’ve rerecorded our very first broadcast, this time with higher-quality versions of the original music and refreshed announcements.

Our inaugural show aired via North American pirate station Radio GaGa, back before we settled on a regular music format.  It’s an eclectic mix—two Texas artists in the set, plus a grab-bag of songs we just liked.  Artists include Gary P. Nunn, Tom Petty, Green Day, Jethro Tull, and The Specials.

Listen to Texas Radio Shortwave from Anywhere in the World

Texas Radio Shortwave broadcasts via ShortwaveRadio and Channel 292 in Germany. We know reception can sometimes be tricky outside Europe—but don’t worry, there’s an easy solution.

Use a free remote European receiver.

If your own radio can’t quite pick us up, tune in through one of these online software-defined radio (SDR) receivers:

• Weston-super-Mare, UK – Our favorite! The owner welcomes TRSW listeners.

http://sdr.loginto.me:8073/

• University of Twente, Netherlands – A reliable and popular choice.

http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/

For U.S. listeners:

You can often hear our late-night (UTC) Channel 292 broadcast on 9670 kHz using a receiver in rural Maryland, USA, hosted by N5RTC.

http://sdr.hfunderground.com:8076/

Reception reports welcome!

Bonus QSLs:

Veteran listeners may recall we missed a fourth-anniversary show in 2023. To make up for it, three listeners who report Friday’s broadcast will be randomly selected to receive an Imaginary Fourth Anniversary QSL in addition to their sixth-anniversary card. These three special cards will bring the total number of 2023 imaginary QSLs to five, out of almost 4,000 QSLs issued since we started.

Of almost 4,000 QSLs issued since we started.

Looking forward to hearing from everyone—and thanks for six great years of listening!

Whether you listen on your own radio or through a remote SDR, we’re happy to verify your reports. Please email texasradioshortwave@protonmail.com

Many TRSW programs are available at www.mixcloud.com/texasradiosw

TRSW's Facebook page www.facebook.com/texasradiosw

TRSW Listener's Group Facebook www.facebook.com/groups/580199276066655/

(TRSW)

Rare DX - La FM from San Andrés Island

 

La FM from San Andrés Island, operating on 910 kHz,  is the latest addition to  #Rare DX videos, now available at the Shortwave Central  YouTube channel, 

Available at:  https://youtu.be/dJDSkx5b8VA

San Andrés Island is considered a separate country, although politically part of Colombia, and is 1470 miles north. 

Observed as San Andrés but nicknamed El Centro, it is the department's main urban center and considered an "exotic holiday destination."

Thank you for your 'likes', comments, and for subscribing to this channel at: 

https://www.youtube.com/c/ShortwaveCentral

A Closer Look at Papua New Guinea

 

Ray Robinson and Jeff White bring you this week's Wavescan, with a closer look at Papua New Guinea, which leaves all of us wondering, " Will Papua New Guinea return to shortwave?"

Jeff: In May this year, the government of Papua New Guinea announced “Medium Term Development Plan IV”, which included a goal of achieving 100% broadcast coverage of the country by 2030.  The Minister for Communications asked the state broadcaster, the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) for their recommendations, and in response, NBC suggested reintroducing the use of shortwave radio – a possibility which is now being explored with manufacturers and funding partners.  In light of this, we thought it might be interesting to review what we know of the history of broadcasting in PNG, and in particular, their previous use of shortwave.  Ray Robinson in Los Angeles has been sifting through the records.  Ray?

Ray: Thanks, Jeff.  As recently as the late 20-teens, NBC was operating a network of about 20 regional shortwave transmitters, all with 10 kW, on various frequencies mostly in the 60 and 90 meter tropical bands.  And if listings in the WRTH are to be believed, it appears the last shortwave transmitters were not switched off until sometime in 2022.  So it’s somewhat surprising now to hear that use of shortwave is being seriously reconsidered.  The transmitters in use previously were mostly NEC HFB-7840 models manufactured in the early 1990’s, and they apparently went silent when parts failed and knowledgeable engineers were not available to service them.  Now it seems that parts have already been purchased for at least one transmitter on the island of New Britain, and are awaiting installation.

A Radio New Zealand broadcast on June 13 of this year included a discussion program in which it was stated that NBC in Papua New Guinea had approached Radio New Zealand for technical assistance in reestablishing their shortwave broadcasts within the next year.  Such a request to RNZI, the most successful shortwave operator in the neighborhood (bar the Chinese) makes perfect sense, although it’s unclear what shape such assistance might take.  So, let’s look at why shortwave has historically been so important to PNG, and why its reintroduction now is a practical necessity.

The island of New Guinea lying to the north of Australia has generally been considered to be the second largest island in the world, after Greenland, about 1,500 miles long.  However, it was recently established that if the Greenland icecap were to melt, we would see that Greenland is actually three islands, not one, so New Guinea really is the largest.  It’s part of the continent of Australasia, which includes the Australian landmass, New Zealand and New Guinea.

The western half of New Guinea, known as Irian Jaya, was administered historically by the Dutch, and in 1949, it was claimed by the newly independent country of Indonesia.  It is now administered as six provinces within that country.

The eastern half of the island was split in the 1880’s between German New Guinea in the north and British Papua in the south.  ‘Papua,’ by the way, is a Malay word which means ‘frizzy hair’, and it has been used for the island at least as far back as 1526.  All of present-day Papua New Guinea came under Australian control at the end of World War I, although the different parts were still administered separately.  The former German and British territories were united as Papua New Guinea after World War II (along with about 100 other islands, the largest being New Britain), and then the country gained full independence as a member of the British Commonwealth in 1975.  Since then, the form of government has been a constitutional monarchy, now with King Charles III as the monarch, represented by a Governor-General.  There is a legislature in the form of a national parliament, with a Prime Minister and members who are also provincial leaders.

PNG is a very mountainous country, mostly covered by thick tropical vegetation, with almost impenetrable jungle in the low-lying areas.  There is a spinal mountain range running east-west for over 1,000 miles, with the tallest peak reaching 16,023 feet.  The tree line is at around 13,000 feet, and some of the peaks above that contain rare equatorial glaciers.

The last official population estimate in 2021 was 11.8 million, but that number is unreliable because the population is highly rural, with only 14% living in urban centers.  The capital, Port Moresby, has a population of less than 400,000, although that still makes it the largest city in the southwestern Pacific outside Australia or New Zealand.  Unofficial estimates of the total population of PNG made using satellite imagery put the number closer to 18 million.  The majority of that population lives in mountain villages where there are no roads or other infrastructure (no electricity, no running water), and they can only be reached by very arduous multi-day hikes on foot from the nearest provincial towns.  Some villages have airstrips (often created by missionary groups), but most do not.  Because of the isolation of these people groups, PNG is the most linguistically diverse country in the world, with 840 known spoken languages – not just dialects, separate languages.  Each one has developed among people living in clusters of isolated mountain villages, sometimes numbering no more than about 20-30,000 speakers of each language.

Again, because of the isolation, it is estimated that at least 40% of the population are subsistence farmers, living completely independently of the cash economy.  They do not have any connection with or receive support from the capital, and they rarely have any need for money.

The official languages of the country are English, Tok Pisin (or Pidgin) and Hiri Motu (a Polynesian language spoken by about 5% of the population in the south east).  The lingua franca used for commerce is Tok Pisin, an English-based creole, although standard English is used in government, higher education, and formal writing.

Classic QSL from Radio East New Britain

So, how do you unite a country as linguistically diverse as PNG?  How do you forge a national identity?  How do you even begin to think about reaching people who never come into even a regional town, let alone the capital?  How can the authorities provide health education, warnings about weather events, emergency assistance when needed, and so on?

You would think that from a radio perspective, small, compact people groups could probably best be serviced by FM transmitters right in their communities, but the problem with that is lack of infrastructure.  With no electricity, the transmitters would have to be powered completely by renewable energy sources such as solar, which would limit them to very low power operation, and then only during the daytime and when it wasn’t too cloudy, which it often is.  Program production in the local language would also have to be powered in the same way, and for the most part, that’s just not viable.

Medium wave doesn’t work well in the tropics for regional coverage due to atmospheric noise, so where medium wave has been deployed (and there are a few 10 kW units in use), they’re only for population centers close to the transmitters.  The only real alternative for national coverage is some form of shortwave broadcast from locations where there is at least a bare minimum of services.  And that’s exactly what PNG had for decades, usually broadcasting in a mixture of English, Pidgin, and perhaps the most dominant vernacular language in their area.

Classic QSL from NBC

The history of radio broadcasting in Papua New Guinea dates back to 1935 when the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) opened the first commercial medium wave station, 4PM, in Port Moresby, although it was closed again during World War II.  In 1944, the U.S army established a radio station called 9PA, which was the first to broadcast in local languages.  After the war, the ABC assumed control of 9PA and gradually expanded its broadcasting services in the territory.

In 1961 the first PNG government broadcast service was launched, the forerunner of 15 regional stations specifically for Papua New Guinea audiences.  This dual system of broadcasting continued until the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) was formed under the Broadcasting Commission Act of 1973.  The NBC is thus Papua New Guinea's state-owned broadcaster, now operating two national radio stations and one television station.

In addition to the NBC, there are also a number of private and community radio stations operating in Papua New Guinea, all on FM.  These mostly target urban youth, who find it easy to tune in on subsidised smart phones that have FM tuners built in.  But, there’s little coverage of the more rural areas.

The 1970 edition of the WRTH lists eight regional stations (all government-operated), such as Radio Rabaul, Radio Wewak, Radio Western District, Radio Goroka, and so on, all on frequencies in the 90 meter tropical band, with a mix of 10 and 2 kW transmitters.  Most of the regional shortwave transmitters were replaced in the early 1990s, and the 1995 edition of the WRTH shows 23 regional stations, all operating with 10 kW in the 90 meter band.  There are also two 100 kW units listed in Port Moresby on 60 meters and 31 meters, which were obviously intended to provide national coverage.

FM transmitters have been deployed in town areas throughout the country, with both the BBC World Service and Radio Australia being available on FM in Port Moresby.  But most of the population is well out of the reach of any FM or medium wave transmitter.  So, we look forward with interest to see how the situation develops in PNG.  

Will a network of regional shortwave stations be reestablished?  Will the 

high-power units in Port Moresby be refurbished and reactivated for national coverage?  Maybe by this time next year we’ll know.

 Back to you, Jeff.

(Ray Robinson/Wavescan 23 Nov 2025)

To hear vintage radio recordings from Papua New Guinea in this edition,  refer to:

https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/wavescan

Radio Prague International via WRMI schedule

 

Radio Prague International (Czech: Cesky rozhlas 7 - Radio Praha) is the official international broadcasting station of the Czech Republic.

Although shortwave broadcasts directly from the Czech Republic ceased in 2011, Radio Prague International is now heard daily via Radio Miami International. The Radio Prague International website has content in English at  https://english.radio.cz/ with the option for other languages.

Radio Prague International broadcasts listings from the WRMI schedule dated 2 November 2025. 

Time/UTC Days Language kHz Transmitter site kW Target area

0000-0030 Daily Spanish    5010 Okeechobee FL 100 Caribbean

          Tue-Sat English  9395 Okeechobee FL 100 North America

0000-0030 Daily Spanish   17790 Okeechobee FL 100 Latin America

0100-0130 Tue-Sat English  5950 Okeechobee FL 100 North America

0200-0300 Sun English      7570 Okeechobee FL 100 Western North America

0230-0300 Daily Spanish    5010 Okeechobee FL 100 Caribbean

0300-0330 Daily Spanish    5800 Okeechobee FL 100 Latin America

                           9955 Okeechobee FL 100 South America

0400-0430 Daily English    9955 Okeechobee FL 100 South America

0430-0500 Daily French     9955 Okeechobee FL 100 South America

0600-0630 Mon/Tue English 15770 Okeechobee FL 100 Europe

1300-1330 Daily English    9955 Okeechobee FL 100 South America

2230-2300 Mon-Fri English 15770 Okeechobee FL 100 Europe

                          17790 Okeechobee FL 100 Latin America

2300-2330 Daily French     5850 Okeechobee FL 100 North America

                          17790 Okeechobee FL 100 Latin America

2300-2330 Mon-Fri English  9395 Okeechobee FL 100 North America

2330-0000 Daily English    5850 Okeechobee FL 100 North America

                          17790 Okeechobee FL 100 Latin America

(WWDXC Top Nx 1636/21 Nov 2025)

(BDXC/Tony Rogers)

Weekly Propagation Forecast Bulletins

 Product: Weekly Highlights and Forecasts

:Issued: 2025 Nov 24 0142 UTC

# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center

# Product description and SWPC web contact www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/subscription-services

#

#                Weekly Highlights and Forecasts

#

Highlights of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 17 - 23 November 2025

Solar activity was at low levels. C-class activity was observed from Regions 4274 (N25, L=274), 4284 (S07, L=177, class/area Dai/150 on 19 Nov), 4290 (S10, L=035, class/area Cao/120 on 22 Nov) and 4291 (S14, L=028, class/area Dao,120 on 22 Nov). 

No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit reached high levels on 19-20 Nov with a peak flux of 2,880 pfu on 20/1435 UTC. Normal to moderate levels were reached on 17-18 Nov and 21-23 Nov. 

Geomagnetic field activity was at mostly quiet to unsettled levels with isolated active levels observed early on 17 Nov and midday on 23 Nov. Solar wind parameters were enhanced midday on 20 Nov when Bt reached 18 nT and Bz reached values at -10 nT. Solar wind speeds began the highlight period at about 550 km/s, declined to near 325 km/s early on 20 Nov and gradually increased to about 500 km/s late on 23 Nov. 

Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 24 November - 20 December 2025

Solar activity is expected to be expected to be at R1-R2 (Minor-Moderate) levels on 28-30 Nov and 01-11 Dec, primarily due to the flare potential and return of old Region 4274. Mostly C-class activity is expected on 24-27 Nov and 12-20 Dec. 

No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at high levels on 28-30 Nov, 01-03 Dec, 08-12 Dec and 16-17 Dec, all due to coronal hole influence. The remainder of the outlook period is likely to be at normal to moderate levels. 

Geomagnetic field activity is expected to range from quiet to G1-G2 (Minor-Moderate) geomagnetic storm levels. G1-G2 (Minor-Moderate) levels are likely on 26-27 Nov and 03-04 Dec due to anticipated influence from CH HSS. Unsettled to active conditions are likely on 24-25 Nov, 28-30 Nov, 05-07 Dec, 12-14 Dec and 17-19 Dec. Mostly quiet levels are likely on 01-02 Dec, 08-11 Dec, 15-16 Dec and 20

Dec. 

Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt

:Issued: 2025 Nov 24 0142 UTC

# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center

# Product description and SWPC web contact www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/subscription-services

#

#      27-day Space Weather Outlook Table

#                Issued 2025-11-24

#

#   UTC      Radio Flux   Planetary   Largest

#  Date       10.7 cm      A Index    Kp Index

2025 Nov 24     125           8          3

2025 Nov 25     125          12          5

2025 Nov 26     130          25          5

2025 Nov 27     135          25          5

2025 Nov 28     140          12          3

2025 Nov 29     145           8          3

2025 Nov 30     150           8          3

2025 Dec 01     155           5          2

2025 Dec 02     150           5          2

2025 Dec 03     155          25          5

2025 Dec 04     160          20          5

2025 Dec 05     170          12          4

2025 Dec 06     175          10          3

2025 Dec 07     170           8          3

2025 Dec 08     165           5          2

2025 Dec 09     160           5          2

2025 Dec 10     155           5          2

2025 Dec 11     150           5          2

2025 Dec 12     145           8          3

2025 Dec 13     135          18          5

2025 Dec 14     130          12          4

2025 Dec 15     130           5          2

2025 Dec 16     125           5          2

2025 Dec 17     125           8          3

2025 Dec 18     120          10          3

2025 Dec 19     120           8          3

2025 Dec 20     125           6          2

(NOAA)

HAARP testing to November 25

 

HAARP

ALASKA   

HAARP (High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program) is currently conducting tests that began on November 17, and will extend to November 25, 2025

Testing frequencies are between 2.75  and 10 MHz, and recent monitoring on: 2750, 3089, 3250, 4290, 4300, 5250, 5800, 9600 kHz. 

The High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) is a University of Alaska Fairbanks program that researches the ionosphere – the highest, ionized part of Earth's atmosphere. The most prominent instrument at HAARP is the Ionospheric Research Instrument (IRI), a high-power radio frequency transmitter facility operating in the high frequency (HF) band. 

Observations: 3250 kHz  Nov 19 at 0454;  6900 at 0220 - 0259 UTC  

(T Pavik, Canada)

To learn more about HAARP, go to: https://haarp.gi.alaska.edu/

(Teak Publishing)

Jen's Birthday Celebration !

 

Tune in on Sunday ... it's time for a birthday celebration - don't miss this special musical program! 

 The Live Stream for the Celebration 

 http://uk4-vn.mixstream.net:8104/index.html 

 Sunday, November 23, 2025, at 19:00 - 23:00 UTC (and maybe longer)

Plus ... Jen's Special Hitting the Big 0 ... HINT it's not 5, can it be 6,7,8,9?  Take your bets, friends, but we're not telling !!

Enjoy

She Did It Her Way !!

For your contact pleasure

 Jenur@proton.me

Jen In The Rad

 

Radyo Pilipinas World Service set to return December 1, 2025

 

Vintage QSL from Gayle Van Horn Collection

Philippines

RP world service returns: Filipinos abroad to share their stories

By Marita Moaje

November 20, 2025, 6:49 pm Updated on November 21, 2025, 6:07 

MANILA – Radyo Pilipinas World Service (RPWS), the Philippine government’s international radio platform, is relaunching its shortwave broadcasts, marking a major step in reconnecting with Filipinos across the globe.

The U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), in a memorandum dated Nov. 20, formally approved the reinstatement of RPWS’s shortwave operations.

The authorized start date for resumption is December 1, 2025,” it added.

Additional story at: https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1263669

FEBC-Radio Liangyou 1 & 3 videos

 Two new #RARE DX stations have been added to the Shortwave Central YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/c/ShortwaveCentral

The channel is expanding, so don't forget to subscribe. Thank you for the kind comments to w4gvhla@gmail 

Stay tuned ...for more videos in the future !!

                                                  https://youtu.be/tBbvuqwgs_I

                                               https://youtu.be/YfNhq4yve4o

WRMI adds new program

 

Dead Air Radio Crypt

The Dead-Air Radio Crypt is the punk-horror-psychobilly variety show you didn’t know you needed. Hosted by members of the late-night horror show Tennessee Macabre and produced in collaboration with Robo-Cat Productions, the show is a mix of underground music, b-sides, and rarities from the history of garage, punk, surf, psych, and psychobilly. Mixed in with the music are vintage radio pulp radio plays. It’s sure to make your nights a little lighter and darker all at once.

(BDXC/Alan Roe, Teddington, UK)

Kuwait on the Air

 

Archival map of Kuwait

A special thank you to Ray Robinson and Jeff White for sharing the Wavescan program on Kuwait from November 17, 2025. Kuwait, at one time, had a prominent voice in the Middle East - but DXers are now left to wonder ... is Kuwait active on shortwave?

Jeff:  In our feature today, we visit the Middle Eastern country of Kuwait.  Kuwait was thrust into the headlines when the neighboring country of Iraq decided to invade in August 1990, sparking the Gulf War.  But Kuwait has a long and proud history of radio broadcasting, and is still represented on shortwave to this day.  So, from Los Angeles, here’s Ray Robinson once more to tell us about the development of radio in that Gulf state.

 

Ray:  Thanks, Jeff.  In my early years exploring the shortwave bands in the 1970’s, one of the stations I remember well was Radio Kuwait.  I was in the UK, and during the afternoons in particular, I remember Kuwait in English booming in on 13 metres, a band that was otherwise almost empty, and yet Kuwait sounded just like a local medium wave station.  I don’t remember the exact frequency – it may have been 21675 – but whatever it was, it was an excellent choice.

So were they channeling a New York Top 40 station there?  I don’t know, but, as far as I can find, we in Wavescan have never covered Kuwait before, so I thought it might be fun to take a look into the history of broadcasting in that country.

Kuwait is situated at the northwest corner of the Persian Gulf, south of Iraq, and is only slightly larger in area than the U.S. state of Hawaii.  The low-lying desert land is mainly sandy and barren.  Kuwait City was founded by an Arab tribe in the early 1700’s, and by 1756 it had become an autonomous sheikdom.  The first sheik was Abd Rahim of the al-Sabah, and his descendants continue to rule Kuwait, which is now a constitutional monarchy.  In the late 1700’s and 1800’s Kuwait was on the fringe of the Ottoman Empire, and in 1897 the country obtained British protection when the sheik feared that the Turks would expand their hold over the area.  In 1961, Britain ended the protectorate, giving Kuwait independence, but agreed to give military aid on request.  No doubt as a legacy from the British Protectorate years, the official languages of Kuwait are Arabic and English.

Oil was discovered in Kuwait in the 1930’s, and it was subsequently proved that Kuwait had 20% of the world's known oil resources.  Since 1946 it has been the world's second-largest oil exporter, after Saudi Arabia.

In the first half of the last century, there was no broadcasting in Kuwait itself, but Kuwaitis, like any other people, were attracted to news sources, especially with the outbreak of World War II.    Many people owned radios, and regularly tuned into broadcasts from London, Cairo and Baghdad.

It was the Kuwaiti, Izzat Jaafar, who operated the first radio transmitter in the country after the war.  His low powered station was located on the waterfront in the Dasman neighborhood of Kuwait City and used to broadcast songs, but it was not licensed, and didn’t last for very long.

In early 1951, Kuwaiti Mubarak Al-Mayal, who served in the military wireless sector, succeeded in setting up a new station, aided by a Pakistani technician, Mohammad Khan Tufail.  After obtaining permission from Sheikh Abdullah Al-Mubarak, who was in charge of public security at the time, they began broadcasting, as Radio Kuwait.  The first transmission was at 7pm local time on Saturday May 12, 1951, and Al-Mayal’s first words were “Huna Kuwait”, meaning "This is Kuwait" in Arabic.

In the beginning, programming was limited to just two hours daily, but he soon succeeded in extending the transmissions and employed more people to aid him.

The first appearance of the station in the World Radio TV Handbook is in the 1954 edition, where it is listed with 1 kW on 5,000 kHz, 60 metres.  By that time, they were broadcasting for five hours per day – 7-9am and 7-10pm local time.

In 1958, two more broadcasters were employed to help develop the station further, which they did with dramatic story telling and playing listener requests.  On the technical side, two 5 kW transmitters were installed in 1960, whose power was soon to be doubled.  On June 10, 1960, Radio Kuwait transmitted their first newscast, and broadcasting hours increased to six per day, then 10, and in October 1960 to more than 16 hours daily.  On Fridays, the Muslim Holy Day when everyone was at home, the station broadcast throughout the day till midnight, with four newscasts.

A year later, when the country proclaimed independence from the British, the station grew again, quite significantly, with larger staff, more studios and installation of 100 kW transmitters.  In fact, the 1962 WRTH shows that the two 10 kW transmitters in Kuwait had been replaced with two Marconi 100 kW transmitters on 1130 and 1345 kHz medium wave, and at least one 50 kW shortwave transmitter on as many as seven different frequencies.  All broadcasting at that time, though, was still in Arabic.

The rapid growth of the station continued apace in the 1960’s, with a 100 kW shortwave transmitter being added in April 1963 on 6055 kHz.  In 1965, Brown Boveri of Switzerland delivered no less than four 250 kW shortwave transmitters, and programming in English was added for several hours per day on both medium wave and shortwave.  It took a few years for new antennas to be installed at the transmitter site near the desert community of Kabad some 15 miles west of Kuwait City, but the new 250 kW transmitters entered service in 1968.

By 1970, for the domestic audience they were running 200 kW 

on 1345 AM and 10 kW on a 60 meter band frequency, but they were also using the high power shortwave transmitters explicitly to target audiences in:

• Iraq/Iran,

• Bahrain/Gulf Area,

• Saudi Arabia,

• Aden/Yemen,

• Sudan,

• the North African countries of Algeria/Libya/Morocco/Tunisia,

• the Levant area of Egypt/Syria/Jordan/Lebanon, and then also

• India/Pakistan and

• Europe.

For a small country whose population at the time was less than 1 million, (it’s still less than 5 million today), they sure had a huge voice and carried a lot of influence in the Arabic-speaking world.

In the early 1980’s, the station’s studio production facilities moved into a new ‘Media Complex’ adjacent to the Ministry of Information in Kuwait City, where state-of-art equipment was installed, and new staff training programs were implemented by the management.  A stylized drawing of the Media Complex was depicted on their QSL cards.

A 1985 program schedule shows they were then broadcasting two different channels on shortwave in Arabic, plus readings from the Koran for several hours per day and programming in English, Persian and Urdu.  Transmissions were also added to the Far East, and for Australia and New Zealand.

Then on August 2, 1990, came the invasion by Iraq.  Amazingly, the Iraqis were not able to silence Radio Kuwait completely, as the Kuwaitis were able to move some of their operation across the border into neighboring Saudi Arabia, first to a transmitting site at Al-Khafji, and later to a larger one at Al-Dammam.

The occupation lasted until February 28th 1991, just less than seven months.  Radio Kuwait’s first broadcast afterwards announced "This is the Liberated State of Kuwait Radio."  Radio Kuwait’s headquarters in Kuwait City had been ransacked and left in ruins, but announcer Hussein Al-Mulla proclaimed that "Kuwait is free and will remain free forever" from a tiny temporary studio he set up near the transmitter site.  It took until 1993 for Kuwait Radio to be fully re-established and re-organized, restoring its role as the mouth of the nation.  Five new shortwave transmitters were installed between 1992 and 1995

QSL from Gayle Van Horn

But sadly, after 20 years in the harsh desert climate the transmitters started to become faulty, and not long after that recording was made, Radio Kuwait left shortwave.  In 2016, however, Ampegon was contracted to refurbish and upgrade the transmitters, including making three of them DRM capable, which they did in 2017.  Since then, Kuwait has remained one of the most acclaimed radio stations in the Arab world.  And as far as I am aware, Kuwait is now the only Middle Eastern country still operating on shortwave.  At least, I thought it was!  According to their website, media.gov.kw/frequency.aspx, they currently broadcast on shortwave in Arabic, Farsi, English, Urdu and Tagalog, with most transmissions in DRM mode.  Their daily English program is listed as running from 0500-0800 UTC, to South and Southeast Asia on 11970 kHz, and to Europe on 15530 kHz.  However, when I tried tuning in at that time on October 13th using WebSDR’s in both the UK and India, nothing was heard in either analog or DRM modes.  And, their schedule seems to have been removed from the DRM.org website.  So, does anyone know what’s going on with Radio Kuwait now?  Please let us know – just email wavescan@yahoo.com.

Of course, we should also mention the USAGM station in Kuwait which was set up in the 1990’s with a 600kW medium wave transmitter and 6 x 250 kW shortwave transmitters, although that’s been taken off the air this year by President Donald Trump’s administration.  Back to you, Jeff.

Recordings of Radio Kuwait can be found by a search on YouTube. www.youtube.com  

(Ray Robinson, (Wavescan 873/17 Nov 2025)

Jen's Eclectic Views & Real Deal audio for November 16, now available

 

No worries mate, if you missed Sunday's Live Stream !   Jen's Eclectic Views & Real Deal for Sunday, November 16, 2025, is up and ready for downloading and listening. 

The Cast for Nov. 16th.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/0qak309pgkyjpcphtkzig/Jen-s-Eclectic-Views-Real-Deal-For-Sunday-Nov.-16th-19-22-heard-on-Unique-R-Australia.mp3?rlkey=9b3a5u9le2zmnty4si9c9wnwc&dl=0

For your contact pleasure

Jenur@proton.me

Jen In The Rad

 

A new video of FEBC Gaweylon Tibetan Radio is now available on the Shortwave Central YouTube channel, from the Monday, November 17, 2025, broadcast.

This broadcast is relayed from Al-Dhabbiya, United Arab Emirates, on 15215 kHz, scheduled in Tibetan on Sunday-Tuesday.

Thank you for watching the video, and don't forget to subscribe. Our subscribers continue to expand. 

Stay tuned for new videos at this popular YouTube channel !!

Video available at: 

https://youtu.be/9Fe7yA8G898

FEBC International via Iba, Philippines

Programming to Asia in Rade, a South Vietnamese language. Heard on 9920 kHz via Iba, 1225-1232 UTC.

Don't miss a glimpse of this interesting and unique language

Video available at: https://youtu.be/4nlVoUj4qj4

Thank you for watching!

Weekly Propagation Forecast Bulletins-November 17, 2025

Product: Weekly Highlights and Forecasts

:Issued: 2025 Nov 17 0337 UTC

# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center

# Product description and SWPC web contact www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/subscription-services

#

#                Weekly Highlights and Forecasts

#

Highlights of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 10 - 16 November 2025

Solar activity ranged from low to high levels. Region 4274 (N24,

L=275, class/area Ekc/1100 on 11 Nov) was the largest and most

complex, and responsibile for the majority of the major events

during the past week. During the week, Region 4274 produced a total

of 72 C-class, 5 M-class and 3 X-class flares. Region 4276 (S17,

L=240, class/area Dai/180 on 07 Nov) produced 10 C-class flares.

Regions 4277 (S06, L=239, class/area Dai/150 on 09 Nov), 4279 (S13,

L=207, class/area Hsx/030 on 11 Nov) and 4281 (S14, L=289,

class/area on 14 Nov) all produced 1 C-class flare. Newly numbered

Region 4284 (S07, L=177, class/area Dso/060 on 16 Nov) produced

three C-class flares late in the period. 

On 10 Nov, high levels (R3/Strong) were observed due to a long

duration X1.2/2B flare observed from Region 4274 at 10/0919 UTC.

Associated with this event was a Castelli U radio event, a 1,311

km/s Type II and a Type IV sweep and a 860 km/s Tenflare. Also

associated with this event was an asymmetric-halo CME with the bulk

of the ejecta off the NW limb. Modelling of the event indicated an

arrival early on 12 Nov. 

High activity levels continued on 11 Nov, when Region 4274 produced

an X5.1/3B flare at 11/1004 UTC. Associated with this event was a

Castelli U radio event, a 1,350 km/s Type II sweep and a 10,000 sfu

Tenflare. An associated asymmetric-halo CME was observed with the

bulk of the ejecta having a NW bias. Modelling of the CME indicated

an arrival time of middle to late on 12 Nov. Low levels were

observed on 12-13 Nov. 

High solar activity was again observed on 14 Nov following a X4.0/3b

flare from Region 4274 at 14/0830 UTC. Associated with this event

was a Castelli U radio event, a Type IV sweep and a 1,100 sfu

Tenflare. An associated CME was visible in LASCO C2 imagery off the

W limb starting at about 14/0800 UTC. Analysis and modelling of the

event indicated that the main body of the ejecta should be well

ahead of Earth. However, modelling of the halo portion indicated a

possible Earth impact late on 15 Nov to early on 16 Nov. As region

4274 exited the NW limb, it produced a parting M3.1 (R1-Minor) flare

at 16/0817 UTC. 

The greater than 10 Mev at 10 pfu protons at geosynchronous orbit

exceeded S1-S3 (Minor-Strong) levels two times during the period.

The first 10 Mev event began at 10/1030 UTC, reached a peak of 1,456

pfu at 12/0215 UTC and ended at 12/2100 UTC. The second, smaller 10

pfu event began at 14/0920 UTC, reached a peak of 16.5 pfu at

14/0950 UTC and ended at 14/1325 UTC. The greater than 100 Mev at 1

pfu protons at geosynchronous orbit exceeded event threshold. The

greater than 100 Mev event began at 11/1100 UTC, reached a peak of

37 pfu at 12/0150 UTC and ended at 12/0925 UTC. All of these

particle events were associated with the previosily described

X-class flare events. 

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit reached

high levels on 10-13 Nov with a peak of 10,090 pfu exceeded at

11/1220 UTC. Normal to moderate levels were reached on 14-16 Nov. 

Geomagnetic field activity was between quiet to G4 (Severe)

geomagnetic storm levels. Unsettled to active levels were observed

on 10-11 Nov due to enhanced HSS influence on 10 Nov into mid 11

Nov. About midday on 11 Nov, an IP shock passage was observed,

likely the arrival of the 09-10 Nov CMEs. On 12-13 Nov, solar wind

parameters reflected the onset of a CME that left the Sun on 10 Nov.

Total magnetic field strength reached a peak of 63 nT, while the Bz

component reached as far south as -55 nT. Solar wind speeds

increased to a peak of about 740 km/s late on 11 Nov. Late on 12

Nov, solar wind speeds reached peaks near 1,000 km/s. During 12 Nov,

the geomagnetic field was at G1 (Minor) to G4 (Severe) levels while

13 Nov, activity levels decreased to quiet to G3 (Strong) levels.

Quiet to unsettled levels were observed on 14-15 Nov. 16 Nov saw

unsettled to active levels due to minor enhancements from the 14 Nov

CME. 

Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 17 November - 13 December 2025

Solar activity is likely to be at R1 (Minor) levels on 12-27 Nov and

13 Dec. Levels are likely to increase to R1-R3 (Minor-Strong) levels

on 28 Nov-30 Nov and 01-12 Dec, primarily due to the flare potential

and return of old Region 4274 (N24, L=275). 

No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is

expected to be at high levels over 18-19, 22-23 and 27-30 Nov and

01-02 and 07-12 Dec, all due to coronal hole influence. The

remainder of the outlook period is likely to be at normal to

moderate levels. 

Geomagnetic field activity is expected to range from quiet to G2

(Moderate) geomagnetic storm levels. G1 (Minor) conditions are

likely on 17 Nov due to anticipated influence both a negative

polarity CH HSS and waning remants from a CME. G2 (Moderate) levels

are likely on 26 Nov, 03 Dec and 13 Dec due to CH HSS influence.

Unsettled to active conditions are likely on 18-19, 21-22, 24-25 and

27-30 Nov and 01-02 and 04-07 Dec, all due to CH HSS influence.

Mostly quiet levels are expected on 20 and 23 Nov and 08-12 De

Product: 27-day Space Weather Outlook Table 27DO.txt

:Issued: 2025 Nov 17 0337 UTC

# Prepared by the US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center

# Product description and SWPC web contact www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/subscription-services

#

#      27-day Space Weather Outlook Table

#                Issued 2025-11-17

#

#   UTC      Radio Flux   Planetary   Largest

#  Date       10.7 cm      A Index    Kp Index

2025 Nov 17     125          22          5

2025 Nov 18     120          12          4

2025 Nov 19     115          10          3

2025 Nov 20     115           8          3

2025 Nov 21     110          12          4

2025 Nov 22     110           8          3

2025 Nov 23     105           5          2

2025 Nov 24     110          15          4

2025 Nov 25     110          18          5

2025 Nov 26     110          25          5

2025 Nov 27     120          20          5

2025 Nov 28     130          10          3

2025 Nov 29     130          12          4

2025 Nov 30     135          15          4

2025 Dec 01     140           8          3

2025 Dec 02     145          18          5

2025 Dec 03     150          25          5

2025 Dec 04     150          20          5

2025 Dec 05     150          12          4

2025 Dec 06     150          10          3

2025 Dec 07     145           8          3

2025 Dec 08     140           5          2

2025 Dec 09     140           5          2

2025 Dec 10     130           5          2

2025 Dec 11     120           5          2

2025 Dec 12     115           5          2

2025 Dec 13     115          25          5

(NOAA)

Radio Spaceshuttle International is slated for Monday testing

 

RSI TEST transmission towards western Europe on 9290 kHz on November 17, 2025

It is our pleasure to announce that we try to arrange a low power test towards western Europe and hopefully a good long-distance propagation to the West.

Please try to catch our signal on Monday November 17, 2025 on 9290 kHz in the 31 meter-band, beginning around 19:00 UTC. 

Your comments, musical wishes, and detailed reports are welcome to our email address. Verifications will be sent very quickly to your email!  spaceshuttleradio@yahoo.com

Let's rock with Radio Spaceshuttle!

(BDXC)

U.K. Propagation Update

 

RSGB 

RadCom Assistant Editor | November 14, 2025 

Last week saw one of the most dramatic auroral events of this cycle. Three X-class solar flares, which sparked coronal mass ejections, joined together to give us a peak Kp index of 8.67, with a solar wind speed in excess of 950 kilometres per second.

The result was extensive visible aurora in the US and Canada, although clouds prevented much of its visibility in the UK. The good news from a radio point of view was that the solar wind’s Bz, or interplanetary magnetic field, mostly pointed north or was neutral in the latter stages. This saved the Earth from a lot of its effects.

The next day, HF propagation appeared to be almost normal with maximum useable frequencies, or MUFs, over a 3,000km path still exceeding 24MHz at times. By Thursday, 13 November, it was mostly over 28MHz, although there were times it dropped dramatically, and signals were weak and watery at best.

You could tell that there had been some disruption to HF by a lack of spots on the CDXC Slack group. While Stan, ZL7/LZ1GC on Chatham Island had been spotted on 11 November, there was very little to report the next day as the Kp index rose to 5.

Next week, NOAA predicts that the solar flux will remain in the 160 to 170 range. However, we can expect a repeat of unsettled geomagnetic conditions this weekend, possibly due to a large coronal hole that became Earth-facing on 13 November.

Likewise, Thursday, 20 November and Friday, 21 November may be unsettled, with a predicted maximum Kp index of 4. After the following weekend, we can also expect more unsettled conditions, especially around 24-27 November, which could see the Kp index rise to 5 or even higher.

Expect decreased MUFs and less HF activity if this is the case.

VHF and up propagation news from G3YLA and G4BAO:

The current spell of unsettled weather is likely to continue into the coming week.

High pressure is always being kept at arm’s length, so there is no real tropo flavour to proceedings. The rain prospects are very strong with, if anything, too much rain in some areas.

During the coming week, colder northerly air will mean that some snow is possible on northern hills. So there remains a possibility of rain scatter on the GHz bands.

After the recent auroral activity, the prospects are worth considering, although it would be surprising if a repeat of the exceptional event of last week were to happen. Nonetheless, stay alert to the Kp index going above 5 and check for activity on the 10, 6, 4 and 2m bands.

The event of last week was triggered by three successive days of X-class flares so for an early ‘heads-up’, start with the Sun.

The foEs graphs on propquest.co.uk  were interesting for the evening of the Autumn Series contest on 12 November. There were some rapid changes in propagation as paths were affected by the F2-layer one minute and Sporadic-E the next.

It is occasionally worth examining the graphs now and again to relate perceived conditions from the radio speaker to actual measurements of the ionosphere. Of course, the data from Dourbes is not necessarily what would have been recorded over the UK, but it gives a good flavour.

The takeaway message is that although we think of Sporadic-E as a summer phenomenon it can play a role outside the main season.

Meteor scatter is certainly in the frame this week since the Leonids meteor shower is due to peak tomorrow, 17 November. Since meteors also play a part in Sporadic-E propagation, there is another reason to check the foEs graphs for out-of-season activity.

For EME operators, the Moon’s declination went negative again yesterday, 15 November, so Moon window lengths and peak elevation fall accordingly. Path losses are increasing to a maximum at apogee on Thursday, 20 November. 144MHz sky noise is low during all of the coming week except for the 

whole of Thursday, when the Sun and Moon are close in the sky.

https://rsgb.org/main/blog/news/gb2rs/propagation-news/2025/11/14/propagation-news-16-november-2025/

(Mike Terry, UK/BDXC) 

Jen's Eclectic Views & Real Deal, set for November 16

 

She's back at it  !! Tune in on Sunday, November 16, 19:00 - 22:00 UTC for a new edition of  Jen's Regular Eclectic Views & Real Deal

Live stream available at:     http://uk4-vn.mixstream.net:8104/index.html

For your contact pleasure

jenur@proton.me

Jen In The Rad.

 

New addition to the Vietnam Playlist at the Shortwave Central YouTube channel. Voice of Vietnam-Russian newscast. Available at https://youtu.be/bHetu7v3avc #Vietnam

Thank you for subscriving to my channel ... more videos to come, stay tuned

Hidden Meanings Behind Callsigns – USA & Australia

 

Special thanks to Ray Robinson and Jeff White for this week's special on the origins of callsigns. 

Jeff: In recent months, we have presented features here on Wavescan that have mentioned various radio station call letters and their meanings.  These have included:

• VOCM, Newfoundland – ‘Voice of the Common Man’

• HCJB, Quito, Ecuador – ‘Heralding Christ Jesus Blessings’

• WINB, Red Lion, PA – originally ‘World In Need of the Bible’, and subsequently ‘World Inter-National Broadcasters’, and

• WMBM, North Carolina – ‘Where Moorhead and Beaufort Meet’.

There are some interesting stories behind callsign meanings both here in America and in Australia, so here’s Ray Robinson to tell us more.

Ray: Thanks, Jeff.  These days, domestically in the U.S., some stations hardly mention their call letters anymore, just gabbling them quickly at the top of each hour to meet FCC requirements, but they are often no longer used as part of the station identity.  As in Europe and elsewhere, US stations are now much more likely to use a station name as their identity, rather than their assigned callsign.  Here in Southern California, we have:

• The Fish

• The Patriot

• Power 106

• Alt 98.7

• Real 92.3

• Arrow 93.1

• Jack FM

• 94.7 The Wave

• Mega 96.3

• Go Country

• The Beast

• The Answer

• Relevant Radio

and so on – you get the idea, and that trend is increasing on both FM and AM.  But once upon a time, station callsigns were the station’s sole identity.

At the dawn of radio broadcasting in the United States, callsigns were simply allocated sequentially.  For example, the callsign for the famous Westinghouse station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, KDKA, was a sequential allocation with no special meaning or significance.

Likewise with so many other callsigns in the United States during that era.  The letters WBZ for the Westinghouse station in Springfield, Massachusetts have no special meaning or significance, and neither do the callsigns for these early stations:

• WDY – Radio Corporation of America, Roselle Park, New Jersey

• WBL – Detroit News, Detroit, Michigan

• KGB – (Not the Russian Secret Service!) in San Francisco, California 

• KJJ – which belonged to ‘The Radio Shop’ in Sunnyvale, California

However, it soon became acceptable for new radio stations coming on the air to request specific call letters, if they weren’t already in use.  And so, many station callsigns in the United States do contain a hidden meaning, so let’s look at just a few.

For example, one of the early broadcasting stations in Chicago – WLS – which is still on the air to this day (on 890 AM with a talk radio format), chose a slogan that was very significant.  The owners of the station were Sears & Roebuck, and to them the letters WLS stood for "World's Largest Store".  Well, that might well have been disputed by Selfridges in London, but it was indeed true for the United States, and it could be argued that they were the largest mail order company in the world.  Before the days of Amazon, Sears’ famous catalog was also the world's largest selling book, at 300 million copies per year.  Only the Bible eclipsed that figure.

Not to be outdone, another station in Chicago was WGN.  This station was owned by the Chicago Tribune, and the letters WGN stood for "World's Greatest Newspaper". And that station too is still on the air to this day, on 720 AM with a news/talk/sports format.

Another station with a grandiose stance was station WGES.  These letters were interpreted to mean "World's Greatest Electrical School".

Many stations chose call letters that tied them to their home city.  For example, the SL in KSL stood for Salt Lake (City), and the STP in the Minnesota station KSTP stood for St. Paul.  Another station that was given a meaningful callsign in respect to its location is WWVA, which is interpreted to mean Wheeling, West Virginia.

Another smart use of call letters was for the station WAIT in Massachusetts.  These letters, WAIT, stood for "We Are In Taunton", the name of their city of license.

A lot of other American callsigns are linked with the name of the company that owns the station.  For example, WPRC in Pennsylvania was the callsign for the Wilson Printing & Radio Company.  Likewise, the well-known WLAC in Nashville has a callsign that means Life And Casualty (Insurance Company).  We might also list the rather obvious callsign, WSDA, which was owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in New York City, and KSDA, their shortwave station in Guam.

Here are a few other interesting callsigns and their meanings:

• KFUM, Colorado – Known for Unsurpassed Mountain Scenery

• KTHS, Arkansas – Kum to Hot Springs 

• KWKC, Kansas – Keep Watching Kansas City

• WPG, New Jersey – World's Playground

• WTIC, Connecticut – Travelers Insurance Co.

But, a very similar story lies behind the allocation of radio callsigns in Australia too.  There, the most popular choice was a callsign that in some way identifies the location of the station.  Of course, they only had two letters to play with.  The initial number, of course, identifies the state, but the following two letters could be chosen.  The callsign:

• 2CA identifies Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory,

• 4CA identifies Cairns in Queensland, and

• 6CA identifies Carnarvon in Western Australia.

The callsigns 2BA and 2BE both identify the town of Bega in New South Wales, one an ABC government station and the other a commercial station.

Three very similar callsigns identify three cities, but also a little more:

• 2AD is in Armidale, New South Wales,

• 5AD is in Adelaide, but this callsign identifies both the city and also the "Advertiser" newspaper, which owned the station.

• The station in the island state of Tasmania, with a similar callsign, is 7AD, which stands for Advertising Devonport, the station's home city.

The callsigns 2AY, 4AY and 6AY identify Albury, Ayr and Albany.  The callsigns 7DN and 8DN identify Devonport in Tasmania and Darwin in the Northern Territory, but the similar callsign 5DN in Adelaide is a mystery.  No one seems to know the reason why this 1925 callsign was chosen.

The next most popular form of callsign for Australian radio stations identifies the owners of the station. For example, 3AK in Melbourne identifies the original owners, Akron Broadcasting Service; the call 3AR, also in Melbourne, identifies Associated Radio; and the call 2BL, in Sydney, identifies Broadcasters Limited.

At one stage, it was popular to choose double letters for the callsign of a radio station, and in various areas of Australia you will find for example, 2XX, 2JJ, 3GG, 4CC, 5AA and 6MM.  The station in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, with double letters was 9AA, and this call did have a real meaning; the double letters stood for Australian Army.

In the FM band, stations are generally assigned callsigns with three letters, but the first medium wave station in Australia with a three letter callsign is 2WEB in Bourke, New South Wales, where the WEB stands for Western Bourke.  The interesting thing is that this three-letter call was granted by mistake, but the station was then allowed to retain its at-the-time unique callsign.

These days a few other medium wave stations have also been granted three letter callsigns, though most of these have come about through the prior assignment of an FM callsign which the medium wave station is now simulcasting to achieve greater coverage.

Back to you, Jeff.

(Ray Robinson/Wavescan)