Shutdown Of Last Short Wave Transmitters At Radio Australia

After almost 80 years of shortwave transmissions and 72 years from the Shepparton station in Victoria the Australian Broadcasting Corporation considers HF transmissions to old fashioned and has closed down domestic and overseas services.
The money saved, about twice what the CEO is paid is going to go to more digital services in the cities. Closedown at 1200 hrs 31/01/17.
For more detailed video on the station shot in 2011 see • International Broadcas... "International Broadcast Station Radio Australia" on this channel
And also the unedited footage of the above video, an interesting tour around the building and grounds.
• Unedited Radio Austral...

[@EricWeberGoogle]

Criminal that the shut down, listened to them for a couple of hours every night... There is no replacement for shortwave radio for ships at sea :-(

[@hallieboy]

As a listener since I was a young boy in the USA, this is an incredibly sad moment, and a terrible decision.

[@jgubash100]

Should of been declared a historical treasure, off limits to the axe.

[@johnsmith6586]

My shortwave radio used to be filled with signals from the BBC, Voice of America, Canada, Moscow, Netherlands and hundreds of other station. Now that so many stations are off the air all you can hear is static, and a few dollar for a holler preachers

[@miguelier]

Very sad. Always political dicisions.

[@duckmcf]

Likely aided with the loss of the Radio Australia soft power projection into the South Pacific, China has recently signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands. Nice work Oz gov and the ABC for not understanding the importance of Radio Oz.

[@ToddHa]

The Ukraine-Russia war is showing just how easy it is to shutdown Internet Feeds from abroad. Easier form of control. With Shortwave, it takes more investment-infrastructure to jam/block a station. Maybe that conflict will change some minds about the importance of Shortwave. I was a routine listener to RA in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s & 2010s. On 9580Khz, 12080Khz, 15160Khz, 15240Khz, 15415Khz, 17715Khz, 17795Khz, 17840Khz & 21740Khz in the St Louis region. RA could be counted on being heard daily in the Midwest even when band conditions were not good. Especially during Evening & then again through the Morning sunrise hours. I remember that 9580Khz was especially good in the spring-summer-fall when thunderstorms were at a minimum in the AM hours. I remember I could take the antenna off of the radio and still hear 9580Khz from 6am-9am (CT) daily. Very strong signal at the sunrise hours. It would like clockwork, drop out fast at 9:30am (CT). Having to wait til about 4pm CT for 21740Khz to return.

[@gold3084]

Radio Australia would of been handy when WW3 starts and we become isolated.

[@shortwaverradio]

the shortwave is much better than the internet, it does not matter if 1000 are listening to a station.

[@angeljoseleonardo5474]

SW is not old fashion at all.I´m dxer since 1956.I like to tune in shortwave emissions from all over the world nowadays.

[@radioescucha]

It is painful.

[@bryanclark8217]

As a regular RA listener since 1961, I feel like a bereaved close relative attending a funeral service. Thanks to all the hardworking technical and programming staff who have played their part in giving Australia a positive image around the world - sadly no more. Bryan Clark NZL

[@vallurirajesh]

Some of my fondest childhood memories were about listening to Radio Australia from a small village in Southern India. Every summer break, I used to fiddle with my grandfathers vacuum tube radio, and when it picked up Aussie radio, it was like I hit the jackpot. I would listen to it for hours and bask in the joy of listening to people from a different continent from the comfort of my home. No wires to connect like in the case of internet, no satellites neither. Just a few ionised particles above the earth's surface carrying those voices through all that distance.

[@chuljinkim4084]

As a HAM operator, as a BCL fan, I have several things that will never be forgotten.

[@westchestervideos8250]

What a great looking station. I hope the building and equipment not been destroyed

[@MrBrian8749]

That was indeed a sad day...I've been dxing since I was 8 years old...RA was always a prize catch on my old zenith royal. It's like part of my childhood was stolen. thanks for sharing this. 73 Brian

[@RobMacKendrick]

Sad. I used to listen to RA all the time here in North America. That interval signal brings back happy memories.

[@JohnAlexanderBerry]

Goodbye Radio Australia. You will be sorely missed by many people !! (I worked at Radio Australia Cox Peninsula for almost 2 years and would never have imagined that this could happen to Shepparton).

[@TishaHayes]

Hearing Waltzing Matilda playing as the station was shut down was quite hard to bear. It reminded me of the last moments of the movie "On The Beach" where Australia, finally fell silent and the world was over.

[@firestormv01]

I'm not even Australian, but hearing the "Waltzing Matilda" at the end of the broadcast suddenly being cut off when the transmitter was shut down made me tear up a bit and felt like watching someone die. Thank you for your many, many years of service, RA.