I just saw this message from “rob4aluk”on the Digital Spy website:
“A friend from the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic emailed me to say that the Falkland Islands Radio Service (FIRS) has started to broadcast on the Internet for 6 hours per day (from 1000 GMT). Their stream URL is :
http://asx.abacast.com/falkland_islands_radio-live-24.asx
I’ve been told that its a direct link up with their 530kHz mediumwave signal so the audio is not that hot but might be of interest to those who would like to listen to a local service in a UK overseas territory.”
Indeed, I am listening to it as I type this, and it appears to be an off-air relay with some fading. To my ears, it sounds like one of the FM transmitters rather than mediumwave. The stream is only 32 kbps, but the audio quality is quite good.
The schedule through 8 January 2009 is available on the FIRS website. According to the Falklands Government website, the streaming service commenced in early November via the station’s website, but I cannot find a link there.
Penguin News says that in the near future, podcasts of a wide range of FIRS programmes will be available to download. Station Manager Corina Bishop said Synergy Information Systems has been instrumental in ensuring that the streaming could go ahead, adding that it could not have happened without the support and sponsorship of Cable and Wireless. Although Falklands Radio will initially not be online after the Lifestyles Programme finishes each weekday, the plan is to extend the hours in the near future.
on Dec 23rd, 2008 at 13:28
Interesting, I’ve been looking out for this, but even if I’d checked this morning I wouldn’t have found anything as there doesn’t seem to be a link on the website itself.
By the way, the stream URL given above is incomplete so won’t connect; in full it’s http://asx.abacast.com/falkland_islands_radio-live-24.asx
Happy Christmas to you Andy, and to all our readers!
on Dec 23rd, 2008 at 13:30
Thanks Dave. I don’t know what happened - the original link given in Digital Spy worked fine. I have corrected it. I think it happened when I changed the font in the quoted message to italics - probably another bug
on Dec 23rd, 2008 at 18:35
FYI the link works but the stream is down as of 18:34 UTC Tuesday…
on Dec 23rd, 2008 at 19:29
Hi guys,
I am a ‘rob4aluk’ as mentioned above. You have to register at the FIRS website then after you log in there is a ‘listen live’ link along with broadcasting times. My friend in the Falklands is a farmer living in West Falkland and does not get FM only FIRS and BFBS Radio 2 on medium wave hence how he must have thought that it was a relay of the MW signal. Merry Christmas and happy listening, Rob.
on Dec 23rd, 2008 at 20:43
Thanks Rob. I did actually register with the site ages ago, but I can’t remember what password I used, But I’d suggest that they put a note on the Home Page stating that if you register you can access the audio stream. It will be great for the Falklanders in the UK and elsewhere who want to keep in touch with events in the Islands.
on Dec 24th, 2008 at 11:08
The stream was observed going offline yesterday promptly at 1600 UTC. Today the stream was already there with a BBCWS relay when I tuned in at 0956 UTC, which was followed at 1000 by IRN News. Their own programming commenced after the news with this ID: “This is F.I.R.S., 88.3 FM or 530 mediumwave. Voice of the Falklands”. An audio clip of this can be heard on Interval Signals Online - http://www.intervalsignals.net.
Amusing to note that their weather forecasts always include the “sheep chill factor”! :-
on Dec 24th, 2008 at 11:20
Yes, apparently it’s sheep shearing season in the Falklands, and newly shorn sheep are understandably susceptible to the cold. I noted the daytime high was 18C or 19C, but I imagine with the winds they get there it feels a lot cooler.
on Dec 24th, 2008 at 18:55
Been listening today and it seems the island council has decided that digital TV will come to the islands in the form of simple set-top boxes, and radio coverage is to be enhanced, with new MW transmitters for FIRS and BFBS-2, as well as FM transmitters.
on Dec 24th, 2008 at 19:18
That’s interesting, as I saw reports in the UK a few weeks ago suggesting that BFBS-2 might be closed to save money. Hopefully that means it won’t be.
BTW on a loosely related topic, I read in The Times that the people of Saint Helena are devastated that the UK government has suspended funding for their new airport due to the financial crisis. At least most of them are - a minority are opposed to the airport as they think tourists will ruin the island. I fear they may be right, but they need more employment to keep the young people from heading off to the UK. Now, when we will able to listen to RSH worldwide on the Web?
on Dec 25th, 2008 at 18:57
These rumours about BFBS Radio 2 are being discussed here in Germany, too, and there is also a rumour about big changes in the FM distribution of BFBS to come in next year, like replacing the high power frequencies 96.5 and 103.0 MHz by lower powered outlets at the British garrisons. But this remains to be seen.
Anyway it appears to be quite sure that BFBS will close down in Osnabrück at yearend, involving a TV transmitter that is the last remaining PAL-I outlet in Germany. After that analogue OTA TV in Germany should still consist of 24 PAL B/G signals and 29 NTSC-M signals, with three exceptions all low/modest power transmitters. Who would have expect NTSC to be one day in use by more German transmitters (AFN ones of course) than PAL?
on Dec 26th, 2008 at 12:07
The conversation I heard from the Falklands was such that I guess if BFBS-2 closes, they will simply put out BFBS-1 instead. Bearing in mind the cost of radio automation these days, I guess the biggest cost for the channel is distribution. Or they might consider just using one of the UK commercial stations and replacing the news.
on Dec 26th, 2008 at 16:04
During her Lifestyle show presenter Liz Elliot announced “A big thank you is going out to BFBS, they’ve given us their airwaves, so we’re with you islandwide on all frequencies all day”.
on Dec 26th, 2008 at 16:37
I guess that’s a special arrangement for the Christmas period, to give the local BFBS personnel some time off.
on Sep 29th, 2009 at 22:54
La calidad de sonido es excelente
on Feb 6th, 2010 at 08:09
And here’s a news item (April 2008) from FINN:
TV_Anger: Falkland Islanders have expressed their anger about a new TV levy that would force all householders to pay a fee for BFBS Television whether or not they watched it and even if or not they have a television in their homes. The proposed £300.00 per annum fee would be added to the same invoice Islanders receive when they pay for water and trash removal. The service is not going to begin until September but according to phone calls coming in to FINN, the additional charge will be placed on this year’s invoice in July….“
73
Manfred
on Feb 6th, 2010 at 08:10
Hi,
I am just writing another article for „Radio Kurier“ of ADDX (www.addx.de) and I am happy that they are back with their livestream.
Back in early 2009 their website was not accessible at all. Then on May 15, one could read „Coming soon: FIRS Live! and Pocasting“.
But nothing happened for many weeks. Up from July 3rd you could listen but nothing else. They informed “The FIRS website has experienced some technical difficulties. We apologise for any inconvenience caused, the website will soon be up and running as normal. You can still listen to Falklands Radio Live.
Just use the link http://www.firs.co.fk/live.php and then „Click here to begin….”
I can recommend “News Direct” with lots of local stuff, job shop (there are always vacancies) and from the musical side the best is presented by former BAS liason officer Myriam Booth MBE who’s doing “Pot Luck” and “Vinyl Frontier” on Monday and Thursday. In fact she has presented “Pot Luck” 900 times between August 1987 and June 2006! Myriam is still busy “… transferring all the good tracks from my record collection onto CD-R’s, it’s been a long journey, almost 6 months!, but am pleased to say have almost finished with the project…..I think I’ve used up around 500-600 CD-r’s!!!”
on Feb 16th, 2011 at 22:34
thanks for having me on the 25th anniversary.would like to keep in touch,love rob