A weekly 30 minute review of news and opinion, recorded from a shortwave radio. With times and freqs for listening at home. 2 files- broadcast and slow-modem streaming. Free to rebroadcast. China, Netherlands, Cuba, and Russia.

Dear Radio Friend,
The latest Shortwave Report (July 24) is up at the website
 http://www.outfarpress.com/outfarpress/shortwave.shtml in both broadcast quality (13.3MB) and quickdownload or streaming form (4.9MB) (28:59)
(NEW! If you have access to Audioport.org there is a higher quality version posted up there {26.7MB}  http://www.audioport.org/index.php?op=producer-info&uid=904&nav=&)

This week’s show features stories from China Radio International, Radio Netherlands, Radio Havana Cuba, and the Voice of Russia.
From CHINA- China will encourage the use of solar power by providing 50-70% subsidies for the next 3 years. A Chinese official says that the purpose of the Uyghur riots in China was to protest for regional independence. China plans to ask the US to protect its investment assets at the first Strategic and Economic Dialogue to be held in Washington next week. Venezuelan President Chavez is reviewing relations with Colombia where the US military is planning to increase its troop presence. Palestinian President Abbas called on Israel to dismantle the nearly 500 mile security barrier separating it from the West Bank. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the Indian Foreign Minister signed agreements for US corporations to build two new nuclear power plants and supply sophisticated weaponry to the military.
From NETHERLANDS- Radio Netherlands has eliminated shortwave broadcasts to North America. The decision is based on their surveys that find very few listeners in N America. If you ever listen to RN on shortwave, please let them know- by email to  letters@rnw.nl or send them a letter to Radio Netherlands Worldwide, PO Box 222, 1200JG, Hilversum, The Netherlands.
US Vice President Biden has travelled to Georgia and Ukraine to discuss NATO expansion and balance out President Obama’s visit to Moscow. An analysis of the ongoing crisis in Honduras, pointing out that not everyone in Honduras wants President Zelaya reinstated.
From CUBA- Honduras has threatened to expel all Venezuelan diplomats and technical workers from the country, while peaceful protests continued against the coup and President Zelaya says he will return this week. UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon demanded that Israel cease building new settlements in occupied Palestinian territory. India’s Environment Minister Ramesh disagrees with US pressure to reduce carbon emissions.
From RUSSIA- Nicaraguan President Ortega is holding a referendum to extend presidential term limits. A commentary on the numerous conflicts between Russia and NATO, and the need to resolve them.
There is an article about the Shortwave Report by Cassandra Roos on line at- http://www.campusprogress.org/soundvision/780/big-stories-shortwaves

I was interviewed for an informative weekly radio show Mediageek, available at  http://radio.mediageek.net

All that plus times and frequencies for listening at home. It’s free to rebroadcast, please notify me if you’re airing it and haven’t notified me in the last month, please mention the website if you only air a portion. If you just want to listen and have a slow connection, try the streaming version- lower sound quality but good enough and way easier if you don’t have a high-speed internet connection. If streaming is a problem because of your slow connection, download the smaller file- it takes 20 minutes or less, and will play swell in any mp3 player application (RealPlayer, Winamp, Quicktime, iTunes, etc) you have on your computer.
This program will be aired on Friday afternoon at 4:30pm (PDST) on KZYX/Z Philo CA, you might be able to stream via
There are several other streams that work better- Freak Radio Santa Cruz now streams this program on Friday at 9:00am.(PDST)
The Shortwave Report may be downloaded as a podcast from or iTunes (search for “shortwave” in podcasts)
Check out the amazing streams at
And Radio For Peace International at

I hope you’ll listen and air this if you’re connected with a radio station. I am still wondering how to get financially compensated for the 25 hours I put into this program weekly- any ideas are appreciated. Any stations rebroadcasting this (or listeners) are welcome to donate for production costs. You can do so through the website. Many thanks to those that have donated! No Guilt! (maybe a little)
link for broadcast edition-
(13.3MB)
link for smaller file and streaming-

¡FurthuR! Dan Roberts
–”While we spend much of our time and a great deal of our treasure in preparing for war, we see no comparable effort to establish a lasting peace. Meanwhile, emphasizing the sloth in this regard, those advocates who work for world peace by urging a system of world government are called impractical dreamers. Those impractical dreamers are entitled to ask their critics what is so practical about war.”
–Walter Cronkite, 1999

Big Stories, Shortwaves

One man’s quest to get his news unfiltered.

By Cassandra Roos, Emerson College
Tuesday February 28, 2006

We’ve all had moments of aggravation with the news offerings in this country, particularly as the mainstream media landscape becomes ever more consolidated.

Even when you flip through reputable papers like the New York Times do you get the sense that you are only getting America’s point of view? Are you curious about what international news our mainstream media skips altogether or how the same news events might be covered half way across the globe? Well you aren’t alone…

Progressives and curious people around the country want to get foreign news unfiltered. So how can ordinary people do this on the cheap? One option is shortwave radio. Until recently, I’d never heard of shortwave myself. When I think of radio, I mostly think of NPR, a smattering of great indie college stations, and then the drivel of right-wing talk radio and homogenous corporate rock stations. (Check out the Campus Progress crib sheet on Payola)

But shortwave radio is sort of like the wild west of the dial. You can find anything on it. In addition to finding plenty of mountain-dwelling conspiracy theorists, American evangelist programming, static, and weird beeping sounds, you can pick up the widest range of global programming available in any medium. You can listen to everything from BBC World Service, Channel Africa, China Radio International, Kol Israel (Voice of Israel), Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, Laser Radio Latvia, Radio Afghanistan, Radio Cairo, Radio Finland, Radio Free Iraq, Radio Havana, Voice of Mongolia, Vatican Radio, BBC World Radio and Voice of America, the official broadcasting service of the U.S. government.

To figure out where to start, check out OutfarPress: a short, summarized audio compilation of snippets of news from radio stations around the world. The programs are a mixed bag. Though our intrepid and discriminating readers will come across detritus like a Cuban broadcast about the need for the world to rise up against American imperialism, the offerings are eclectic and fascinating.

Outfarpress.com is the project of Dan Roberts. Dan lives in a cabin which uses only solar energy in Mendocino County, California. He runs 65 feet of wire from one end of his house to the other and it is connected to a $1500 shortwave radio which can pick up stations from around the world.  Some, like Radio Havana Cuba, are not available in the U.S. on the internet or through any other form at all. 

{Note: Read the rest of the article at…..http://www.campusprogress.org/soundvision/780/big-stories-shortwaves}