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In July 1923, less than three years after Westinghouse station KDKA
signed on, company engineer Frank Conrad began regular simulcasting
of its programmes on a frequency in the newly-discovered shortwave
range. It was an important event in a technological revolution that
would make dependable worldwide radio communication possible for
the first time. In subsequent years, countless stations in
practically all countries followed suit, taking to shortwave to
extend reception domestically or reach audiences thousands of miles
away. Shortwave broadcasting would also have an important role in
World War II and in the Cold War. In this, his fourth book on
shortwave broadcast history, the author revisits the period of his
earlier work, On the Short Waves, 1923-1945, and focuses on the
stations that were on the air in those early days. The year-by-year
account chronicles the birth and operation of the large
international broadcasters, as well as the numerous smaller
stations that were a great attraction to the DXers, or
long-distance radio enthusiasts, of the time. With more than 100
illustrations and extensive notes, bibliography and index, the book
is also a valuable starting point for further study and research.
As radio developed in the early 1920s, the focus for most people
was the AM band and stations such as KDKA, the first broadcast
station. There was, however, another broadcast method that was
popular among many early enthusiasts - shortwave radio. As is true
today, the transmission of news and entertainment programs over
shortwave frequencies permitted reception over great distances. For
many in America and beyond, shortwave was an exciting aspect of the
new medium. Some still tune the shortwave bands to enjoy the
programming. Others pursue broadcasts for the thrill of the hunt.
This book fully covers shortwave broadcasting from its beginning
through World War II. A technical history examining the medium's
development and use tells the story of a listener community that
spanned the globe. Included are overviews of the primary shortwave
stations operating worldwide in the 1930s, along with clubs and
competitions, publications and prizes. A rich collection of
illustrations includes many QSLs, the cards that stations sent to
acknowledge receipt of their transmissions and that are much prized
by long-distance collectors.
Shortwave broadcasting originated in the 1920s, when stations used
the new technology to increase their range in order to serve
foreign audiences and reach parts of their own country that could
not easily be covered by regular AM stations. The early days of
shortwave radio were covered in On the Short Waves, 1923-1945:
Broadcast Listening in the Pioneer Days of Radio, published by
McFarland in 1999. This book picks up the story after World War II,
focusing on the stations themselves and the environment in which
they operated. A companion volume, Listening on the Short Waves,
1945 to Today, focuses on the shortwave listening community.] The
heart of the book is a detailed, year-by-year account of the
shortwave bands in each year from 1945 to the present. It reviews
what American listeners were hearing on the international and
domestic shortwave bands, describes the arrivals and departures of
stations, and recounts important shortwave events. The book also
introduces readers to the several categories of
broadcasters--international, domestic, religious, clandestine and
pirate--and to private shortwave broadcasting in the United States.
It explains the impact of relay stations, frequency management, and
jamming, and describes promising shortwave technologies. It also
addresses the considerable changes in, and challenges to, shortwave
broadcasting since the end of the cold war. The book is richly
illustrated and indexed, and features a bibliography and extensive
notes to facilitate further reading or research.
The discovery and development of shortwave technology during the
1920s and 1930s permitted radio stations throughout the world to
transmit their programs over long distances, even worldwide, for
the first time, and the thrill of hearing broadcasts from faraway
places produced a dedicated American audience. Developments in
shortwave broadcasting and shortwave listening from their inception
through the war years were covered in On the Short Waves,
1923-1945: Broadcast Listening in the Pioneer Days of Radio,
published by McFarland in 1999. This book picks up the story in
1945, describing the resumption of organized shortwave listening
after the war and its development in the years since. The companion
volume, Broadcasting on the Short Waves, 1945 to Today, focuses on
the world's shortwave stations. Written from the standpoint of the
serious shortwave enthusiast, this book begins with an examination
of the broader shortwave listening audience. It then presents in
detail the histories of the major North American shortwave clubs
and reviews the professional and listener-generated shortwave
literature of the era. It also covers the DX programs and other
listening fare to which shortwave listeners were most attracted and
the QSL-cards they sought as confirmation of their reception. The
book presents a chronology of the shortwave receivers available and
discusses how changes in receiver technology impacted the listening
experience. It also addresses the important role that computers
have played in the shortwave listening of recent decades. The book
is richly illustrated and indexed, and features extensive notes to
facilitate further reading or research.
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