Music requests and special messages for the staff at the British Antarctic Survey
Listen to the Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast
This is possibly the BBC World Service's most unusual program as well as serving its smallest intended audience. It is broadcast each year on 21 June to a guaranteed audience this year of just 44 people: the men and women scientists and support staff overwintering at four British bases in Antarctica.
There are just eight among the seals and penguins of King Edward Point on South Georgia and only four at nearby Bird Island. The biggest base, Rothera, on the Antarctic Peninsula houses 19 winterers – the population can reach 100 in the Summer. Furthest south still is Halley VI on the Brant ice shelf where the Sun does not rise for many weeks and temperatures of -30° C are made worse by bitter winds. But life is more comfortable for the 13 lucky residents because they are in the futuristic new modules of Halley VI – the previous five bases have either been dismantled or even lost beneath the ice.
All time UTC
June 21, 2020
2130-2200 on 6170 ASC 250 kW / 207 deg to Antarctica English special program (Ascension island relay)
2130-2200 on 5790 WOF 300 kW / 180 deg to Antarctica English special program (Woofferton, UK relay)
2130-2200 on 7360 WOF 300 kW / 182 deg to Antarctica English special program
2130-2200 on 9580 ASC 250 kW / 207 deg to Antarctica English special program
(DX Mix-Bulgaria)
Additional story on Antarctica Midwinter Broadcast and audio file at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/48Gx2jfJBWHyWggDSD19gFT/antarctic-midwinter-broadcast
Previous broadcast available at You Tube
Ralf Bender Shortwave Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dvIJCh-i4I
BBC Midwinter Broadcast # 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEsrX9JuzRw
The 2018 BBC Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5yfGNpy8TU
