Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Paul Watson, who shares the following recording. Paul notes:

“During the 1980s I was listening to shortwave radio from my home near London, in the southeast of England. I had a cassette recorder connected to the receiver and taped anything interesting that caught my ear. Little did I know that 40 years later the majority of these stations would have disappeared and I would have the opportunity to share these recordings with the world.”

This recording is part of a five-part compilation series Paul has created, grouping international shortwave broadcasters by region. The majority of the clips are in English and feature interval signals, station IDs, and sign-ons/offs—a rich snapshot of shortwave radio during its Cold War-era heyday.

This particular compilation focuses on: The Americas

All recordings were made during the 1980s, most in the first half of the decade. While frequencies and exact dates aren’t provided, Paul has kindly included timestamps noting when each broadcaster appears in the audio. These are listed below for easy reference.

We’re grateful to Paul for sharing this excellent audio time capsule, and for his efforts to preserve and document the golden era of international broadcasting.

• Bonaire: Trans World Radio (3.31)

• Brazil: Radio Nacional do Brasil (4.32)

• Canada: Radio Canada Int (6.58)

• Chile: Voice of Chile (8.48)

• Colombia: Radio Nacional (11.06)

• Radio Sutatenza (12.00)

• Cuba: Radio Havana (12.48)

• Dominican Republic: La Voz del CID (14.20)

• Radio Clarin (15.01)

• Ecuador: HCJB (15.43)

• Grenada: Radio Free Grenada (17.36)

• Nicaragua: Voice of Nicaragua (18.42)

• USA: Voice of America (19.54)

• Radio Earth (20.33)

• KCBI (21.39)

• WHRI (22.13)

• WRNO (22.38)

• WYFR (22.49)

• UN Radio (23.22)

• Venezuela: Radio Turismo (24.48)

• Radio Tachira (25.31)

• YVTO (26.06)

Photo of Taipei Photo by TangChi Lee

Many thanks to SRAA contributor Kanwar Sandhu, who shares the following test broadcast recording of Radio Taiwan International recorded on June 29, 2025, at 1730 UTC on 11995 kHz:

Many thanks to SRAA contributor Dan Greenall, for sharing the following recording and notes:

Broadcaster: All India Radio 1971

Frequency: 11.810 MHz

Reception location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

Receiver and antenna: Hallicrafters S-52 using a longwire antenna

Notes: This transmission to southeast Asia from the general overseas service of All India Radio was heard surprisingly well in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada on 11810 kHz shortwave back in 1971. Their familiar interval signal is heard at first, followed by sign on in English.

Many thanks to SRAA contributor Dan Greenall, who shares the following recording and notes:

Broadcaster: WREC Radio Free East Coast Pirate 1997

Date of recording: August 31, 1997

Frequency: 6.955 MHz

Reception location: Thamesford, Ontario, Canada

Receiver and antenna: Panasonic RF-3100 and longwire antenna

Mode: Single Side Band

Notes: Some pirate radio stations used to use an interval signal. This is a recording of shortwave pirate broadcaster WREC Radio Free East Coast beginning a broadcast on August 31, 1997. It was made in Thamesford, Ontario, Canada and you will hear an interval signal followed by a song "Yo ho, yo ho A Pirate's Life for Me", then station identification. Receiving equipment was a Panasonic RF-3100 hooked up to a longwire antenna and the station was heard on 6955 kHz.

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Dan Greenall, who shares the following recording and notes:

Broadcaster: Voice of Nigeria, Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation 1971

Frequency: 7.275 MHz

Reception location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

Receiver and antenna: Hallicrafters S-52 using a longwire antenna

Notes: Here is a recording of the distinctive rapid drum beat interval signal used by the Voice of Nigeria in Lagos on shortwave, made sometime in 1971. A voice announcement follows, as they begin a program in the French language. In the second recording, you will hear their interval signal, anthem, and sign on in English. This recording was made circa 1971 on 7275 kHz.

Many thanks to SRAA contributor Dan Greenall, who shares the following recording and notes:

Broadcaster: Trans World Radio, Meyerton, South Africa 1990's

Frequency: 7.215 MHz

Reception location: Thamesford, Ontario, Canada

Receiver and antenna: Panasonic RF-3100 and longwire antenna

Notes: Trans World Radio used to air some of it's programs via the SENTECH transmitter at Meyerton, South Africa. Here is a recording of the station in the late 1990's, including identification in English but no transmitter site given. This was made from my receiving post in Thamesford, Ontario, Canada, likely on 7215 kHz shortwave. This transmitter was shut down in March 2019.

Many thanks to SRAA contributor Dan Greenall, who shares the following recording and notes:

Broadcaster: Radio Baghdad, Iraq

Date of recording: Circa 1971

Frequency: 15.400 MHz

Recption location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

Receiver and antenna: Hallicrafters S-52 using a longwire antenna

Notes: Another bird call interval signal. Even though Radio Baghdad in Iraq may have had a program beamed to North America in the early 1970's, they were not easily heard at my receiving post in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada. This may have had to do with their choice of frequencies used. This recording begins with their mechanical nightingale interval signal, followed by identification in the Arabic language.

Many thanks to SRAA contributor Paul Walker, who shares the following recordings of Vatican Radio made on April 26, 2025.

The first recording, pre-funeral in French, was recorded at 07:36 UTC on 17520 kHz:

The second recording, made during the funeral in English, was recorded at 08:18 UTC on 17540 kHz:

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Dan Greenall, who shares the following recording and notes:

Broadcaster: RAI Italian Radio and Television, Rome 1971

Frequency: 6.010MHz

RX location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

Receiver and antenna: Hallicrafters S-52 using a longwire antenna

Notes: RAI, Italian Radio and Television from Rome, had an interval signal that was described as a mechanically generated chirping canary, mechanical nightingale and even an Italian Sparrow. The station broadcast on a number of different frequencies in English (my QSL has them on 6.010 MHz), however in this recording, that was made circa 1971, the station identification is given in Italian.

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Dan Greenall, who shares the following recording and notes:

Broadcaster: Radio Botswana 1983

Frequency: 4.845 MHz

RX location: Brantford, Ontario, Canada

Receiver and antenna: Panasonic RF-3100 and longwire antenna

Notes: Radio Botswana used to be famous for their "barnyard" interval signal. While my recording, from 1983, only captures a few seconds of the cowbells, it does include their full national anthem and sign on announcements in Setswana (presumed) and English.