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international radio and podcasting

RTE digital radio stations now streaming

Posted by Paul • Sunday, June 22. 2008 • Category: news
Ireland's national broadcaster, RTE, has now launched internet streams of the digital stations that started in August 2007.

The stations available are: RTE 2XM (alternative rock music), RTE Digital Radio News, RTE Junior, RTE Gold, RTE Radio 1 Extra, RTE Pulse (Dance Music) and RTE Choice; streams for these stations and RTE's FM stations can be found on the RTE website.

Furthermore, RTE has historically used only Realaudio streams; but now Microsoft Windows Media streams are also available.

Australia's Nine Network streams news bulletins

Posted by Paul • Wednesday, June 11. 2008 • Category: terrestrial tv
The east coast stations of Australia's Nine network have started streaming their 6pm news bulletins on the internet.

The Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane stations broadcast half an hour of news at 6pm (0800 UTC) and it is now available worldwide, although unfortunately only in Windows Media Player and Silverlight formats, at this point in time.

New Australian TV channels delayed

Posted by Paul • Wednesday, May 21. 2008 • Category: terrestrial tv
The Australian government has put on hold the auction of new digital television licences, which were intended for providing new channels and mobile DVB-H television, according to a report in Melbourne's Age newspaper.

Known as channels A and B, one channel was going to be allocated to so-called datacasting and community television, with possible broadcasters including the indiginous broadcaster NITV, and the other was earmarked as a pay-TV service for mobile phones.

The new government plans for a technical and policy review before committing to an auction of the spectrum.

WRTH 2008 Update Supplement 2 released

Posted by Paul • Thursday, May 15. 2008 • Category: shortwave radio
The World Radio TV Handbook have released their second update for 2008.

Continue reading "WRTH 2008 Update Supplement 2 released"

Special QSL card from Radio Prague

Posted by Paul • Wednesday, May 14. 2008 • Category: shortwave radio
Radio Prague have announced the release of a special QSL card, celebrating the 85th anniversary of the commencement of regular broadcasts from Czech Radio.

To get one of your own, listen to their broadcast on May 18th, 2008 and then send a reception report to: Radio Praha, Vinohradská 12, 120 99 Praha 2, Česká Republika.

Australian Radio Ratings, Survey 3, 2008

Posted by Paul • Tuesday, May 13. 2008 • Category: domestic radio
Nielsen Media research have released the results of the third 2008 radio ratings survey for Australian metropolitan stations, with some surprises in a couple of markets.

Continue reading "Australian Radio Ratings, Survey 3, 2008"

CBC to launch new channels

Posted by Paul • Tuesday, May 13. 2008 • Category: news


Inside the CBC is reporting that Canada's national broadcaster is to launch new channels in the coming 18 months, including a 24 hour news channel. Additionally, Radio One will be redeveloped and Radio Two will be repositioned - again, much to the dismay of some listeners.

New channels unlikely in the short term

Posted by Paul • Monday, May 12. 2008 • Category: terrestrial tv
The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that it is unlikely that Australia's commercial television operators will launch any new digital standard-definition multichannels as soon as they are legally allowed to do so. From January 1st, 2009, the previous government's restrictions on such channels will lapse. All three major commercial networks are currently allowed to broadcast separate programming streams on their high-definition channels, but in currently tend to limit multichannelling to afternoons and late evenings.

Free satellite service opens in the UK

Posted by Paul • Wednesday, May 7. 2008 • Category: news

The BBC and ITV have launched a free satellite service for viewers in the UK. FreeSat will carry 80 television and radio channels - and 200 by the end of 2008 - and will primarily be of interest to viewers who are unable to receive the terrestrial digital broadcasting service FreeView.

Road test: internet radio

Posted by Paul • Tuesday, April 15. 2008 • Category: streaming
While shortwave radio - at least in English - is declining, internet radio is booming. It was only a matter of time before listeners decided that they didn't want to be tied to their computer to listen to it. The Sydney Morning Herald has published a review of four internet radios: the Grundig IR6114, the Bush TR2015R, the ASUS Internet Radio and the Pinnacle Soundbridge Radio. Thanks to newtaste of aus.radio.broadcast for the reference.





Final two days for Kol Israel in English

Posted by Paul • Sunday, March 30. 2008 • Category: shortwave radio
After years of threats, it looks like Israel's international shortwave broadcaster, Kol Israel, will cease shortwave broadcasts of all languages other than Farsi on March 31st.

English, French and Spanish broadcasts can continue to be heard over the internet, with the following schedule:











Time (UTC)Language
0430-0445English
0445-0500French
1030-1045English
1100-1115French
1800-1815French
1815-1830Spanish
1830-1845English



The Israel Broadcast Authority (IBA) website still carries the for the last two days of broadcasts. If you're interested in catching them, the English schedule is:







Time (UTC)Frequency
0430-04459345, 7545, 17600
1030-104515760, 13855
1830-18456985, 7545, 15640, 9345



The IBA also operates a number of domestic radio networks, which are available to international listeners via the internet:

More BBC shortwave cutbacks

Posted by Paul • Tuesday, March 18. 2008 • Category: shortwave radio


The BBC has announced that it will be closing shortwave transmissions to the Carribean and reducing transmissions to East and South-East Asia, from March 23rd and March 30th, respectively.

There will no longer be any shortwave broadcasts to East and South-East between 10am and 5pm, and midnight and 2am, local time. Listeners are expected to use satellite, the internet or local FM repeaters, although we're not quite sure how they are supposed to do this if they're hiking through a remote jungle.

BBC launches BBC Arabic TV Service

Posted by Paul • Friday, March 14. 2008 • Category: satellite tv


The BBC have started a publicly funded Arabic language international TV service, which is freely available on satellite and cable within the Middle East and North Africa.

Currently it will broadcast for just twelve hours a day, from 1000 UTC to 2200 UTC, but the intention is to run a 24-hour service later in the year. Funding for the station is from a government grant and savings made by closing the BBC World Service's Eastern European radio services.

The station's website can be found at bbcarabic.com.

Australia's Nine-HD to start on March 17th

Posted by Paul • Monday, March 10. 2008 • Category: terrestrial tv


The Australian Financial Review newspaper is reporting today that the Nine Network's High Definition service will begin multichannel programming on Monday March 17th.

Nine's rivals, the Seven and Ten networks, started their own HD multichannel services at the end of 2007, but Nine has been going through a number of difficulties with management and poorly-rating programs in recent times, has been slow to follow suit.

When launched, the service will consist of time shifted programming from its main channel, in addition to new programming. It remains to be seen how much the HD channel will differ from the existing standard definition broadcasts; Seven and Ten's HD services have been somewhat disappointing, with separate programming confined mostly to late nights.

The article also mentions that all three networks are planning for their second standard definition services, which will be allowed to air from January 2009, under current Australian broadcasting legislation.

Previously: Ten HD launches in Australia and Seven Network Commences multichannelling

7HO gets its lucky number back

Posted by Paul • Sunday, February 17. 2008 • Category: domestic radio


After a number of years known as "HOFM", Hobart's original commercial radio station has returned to its original name from 1931 of 7HO. This goes against the trend of radio stations in Australia to drop the digits from their callsigns which reflect the state in which they are broadcasting (in this case, the seven refers to Tasmania).
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