Once a year, staff at the four British Antarctic bases - Rothera, Halley, King Edward Point and Bird Island - cluster round their shortwave radios to hear the BBC’s Gabrielle Walker present half an hour of music requests and special messages from their loved ones back home. The programme is produced and presented for the 45 scientists and technical staff who keep the Antarctic bases of the British Antarctic Survey running through the long, cold darkness of the polar winter.
This year’s broadcast took place at 2130-2200 UTC yesterday (21 June) on 5950, 7295 and 7360 kHz. But it’s now available online if you want to hear what the BBC describes as “possibly the World Service’s most unusual broadcast.”
on Jun 23rd, 2010 at 11:55
Thanks for the link to the broadcast. That web page provides further links to the broadcasts in 2008 and 2009. The wording on both of them implies that these annual transmissions have been going for some years, though I think last year’s was the first time they were noticed by the hobbyist community.
Or can anyone remember hearing them (of hearing of them) any further back?
on Jun 23rd, 2010 at 12:07
As far as I know, the hobbyists learned about it up from this Weblog:
http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/bbcws-to-conduct-special-midwinter-broadcast-to-antarctica
though I notice that the individual responsible for the Travellin’ South blog that drew it to my attention has returned to the UK.
I also note that the frequencies in 2010 are the same as in 2009, so they presumably will be on the air again on 21 June 2011. Don’t say you haven’t been given advance notice
on Jun 23rd, 2010 at 13:57
Chris, this transmissions started at some point before 2000. I suspect that “some point” could be a matter of decades. Perhaps a BBC WS insider knows when they did it for the first time?
At least on 21 June 2000 the programme went out on the already established slot 2130-2200 UT, via Skelton on 7325 kHz and via Rampisham on 9915 plus 11680 kHz …
on Jun 23rd, 2010 at 18:19
Many thanks, Andy and Kai. Fascinating to learn that these transmissions have been under way for years without “our” knowledge.
It’s in my diary for next year!