NY Times: "BBC revives shortwave radio dispatches in Ukraine, and draws ire of Russia."

[orangecrush]

Russia is trying to cut off the flow of information in Ukraine by attacking its communications infrastructure, the British news outlet BBC is revisiting a broadcasting tactic popularized during World War II: shortwave radio.

The BBC said this week that it would use radio frequencies that can travel for long distances and be accessible on portable radios to broadcast its World Service news in English for four hours a day in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, and in parts of Russia.

“It’s often said truth is the first casualty of war,” Tim Davie, director-general of the BBC, said in a statement. “In a conflict where disinformation and propaganda is rife, there is a clear need for factual and independent news people can trust.”

On Tuesday, Russian projectiles struck the main radio and television tower in Kyiv. Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraine’s defense minister, wrote on Twitter that Russia’s goal was “to break the resistance of the Ukrainian people and army,” starting with “a breakdown of connection” and “the spread of massive FAKE messages that the Ukrainian country leadership has agreed to give up.”
Shortwave radio has been a go-to vehicle to reach listeners in conflict zones for decades, used to deliver crackling dispatches to soldiers in the Persian Gulf war, send codes to spies in North Korea and pontificate through the Iron Curtain during the Cold War. But more modern forms of radio along with the internet eventually pushed shortwave out of favor; the BBC retired its shortwave transmissions in Europe 14 years ago.


https://swling.com/blog/2022/03/ny-times-bbc-revives-shortwave-radio-dispatches-in-ukraine-and-draws-ire-of-russia/#comment-704092

[Budi]

1. BBC's shortwave radio broadcast can be found on :

The BBC’s shortwave radio broadcast can be found on 15735 kHz from 6pm to 8pm and on 5875 kHz from midnight to 2am, Ukraine time.

@maraya11825
The BBC’s move to bring back shortwave came days after Russia launched two missiles on Kyiv’s TV tower, killing five people and knocking out some access to news and broadcasts.

Link to tweet

[orangecrush]

8. Thank you!

I will be tuning in.

[yagotme]

2. Good.

Be nice if the Ukrainians could broadcast out what's really happening, also.

[AntiFascist]

3. British version of Voice of America n/t

[SheltieLover]

4. Kicking for visibility

[Budi]

5. More..

Link to tweet

[orangecrush]

10. Thanks!

[PortTack]

6. Brave souls...everyone of them

[crickets]

7. Interesting website with links to several good articles about shortwave.

Good on the BBC. Glad their shortwave capabilities weren't too far gone - seems they were able to crank up something quickly with little problem.

[orangecrush]

9. In WW2 the BBC

Countered nazi propaganda by always broadcasting the truth, even if the Allies suffered a defeat.

The Germans soon realized their own radio could not be trusted, and would covertly listen to the BBC to hear the truth.