Wednesday, July 18, 2012

The last program from Radio Canada International for Brazil



The host Hector Vilar

Last broadcasts use to be melancholic for the listeners and for the hosts of the programs. And, last times, this moments are, unfortunately, more usual than they should be.

In the “good bye edition” of the program Canadá Direto, from Radio Canada International for Brazil, the director of the program, Hector Vilar, that commanded the show since its beginning, in 2004, speaks clearly about the end of the Brazilian section of the station, that decided to finish the shortwave broadcasts in all languages and terminate the Brazilian and Russian departments.

In the program, broadcasted on June 22 and reprised on June 23, Vilar was in the studio with Cristiane Hirata and Gilda Salomone (the picture, shot by Hirata, I took from the site of the program). They revisited important moments of the eight years of the show, and talket with all journalists that worked for it. They don’t have reason for not speak in clear text, and express straightly their disappointment with the decision of the government, in an important moment of the relationship between Brazil and Canada. Vilar also explains that he received the news that he would be fired, as all his Brazilian colleagues, just when his daughter was getting one month old, and stability would be important.

The end of the shortwave broadcasts from Radio Canada was news also in Radio Havana Cuba, as you can listen to in the program below, which I’ve recorded some days before by satellite.


The second recording I’ve taken from the internet site of the program, brings the moment with the hardest critics from the team.


The third recording was made in Florianópolis in the old fashion way. The very first moments in 17.860 khz and then in 15.455 khz. Unfortunately the propagation conditions weren’t as good as usual in the program (Sinpo 35333).


Best wishes for the competent team of Canadá Direto. We will miss the program.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

In higher frequencies


Reception in my house is made with a small parabolic antenna


With not that much time to dedicate to the blog, I’ve been absent for some time. But I didn’t stop completely listening to radio.  A bit disappointed with the never-ending bad news about the closing of international broadcast radio services (till the Pope is abandoning the broadcast on shortwave), I’ve been surfing in higher frequencies. More specifically, listening to radio by satellite.

In Brazil, with a small KU parabolic antenna of 90 cm, it is possible to receive an interesting range of broadcasts in the Hispasat satellite, including traditional shortwave broadcasters like Radio Exterior de Espanha, Radio Habana Cuba, and Radio France International, all with high quality.

In the audio below, made on June, 14, you can listen to parts of the broadcast from Radio Exterior de Espanha, with the end of a music peace, news about the international crisis (which, as all radio fans know, is accelerating the dismantlement of international services), the weather forecast, about the interest of the station to know her listeners, and something more.