credit: http://www.swradio.net
Next transmission for scandinavian weekend radio.
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SWR - a radio enthusiasts' dream
Through the decades radio amateurs and DX-listeners have also been pioneers in broadcasting. In the beginning of the 20th century many broadcasting pioneers around the world were radio amateurs. In the 1970's there were again a huge amount of new radio stations on the air in many European countries. Now the enthusiasts were mostly DX-listeners. Through the years the enthusiastic pioneers have been broadcasting illegally without licenses. How it's possible, that broadcasting has always been so close to the hearts of so many active radio enthusiasts?
Over a century of experience
In the end of the 1980's some active Finnish radio enthusiasts started to form a loose group. They were radio amateurs, DX-listeners, pirates, scanner listeners and CB'ers. They were men from different parts of Finland. Men, who always wanted to reach out for something new and different. Men, who were eager to do something special first.
In 1999 the group was in a critical situation. They desperately wanted to break through and really have a ball. Go, where no man has gone before. Just for their own mental stability. Those 10 men had altogether almost 200 years of radio experience. That's why it would be quite difficult to find something totally new in the radio world.
Broadcasting. In shortwaves!
Most bands and modes were already heard and done. When the group continued to discuss about the possibilities, they found themselves again and again talking about the same subject: broadcasting.
In Finland broadcasting is the most limited part of the radio as a hobby. FM was out of question, nothing new there. In mediumwaves there has been Finnish legal stations already on the air. TV sounded a bit too expensive for us poor enthusiasts. There were no legal equipment available for the long waves and we doubted if we can built it ourselves.
But... how about the shortwaves? An idea about the legal shortwave station hit like zillion volts. Or watts. That hasn't been done in Finland before. Until now. Quick connections to different parties proved, that in theory this could be done. The biggest problem was to find a legal transmitter. Also it would be nice, if the station could be founded with only a handful of dollars. Or without. But everything can be done. If there's a will, there's a way. And there was a will.
Victory
Many kinds of resources and talents emerged inside the group. The transmitters were built by ourselves, tested in own workplace and approved by the Finnish DTI/FCC. The association was founded. The station building was reconstructed. The studio was built. The licenses were applied.
Scandinavian Weekend Radio
The results of the enthusiasts' work were heard on the dear airwaves already less than one year after the GO! -decision. In the town of Virrat, in the village of Liedenpohja operates the Scandinavian Weekend Radio. SWR started broadcasting in shortwaves 2. July 2000. SWR is the first and only independent, commercial, private shortwave station in the Nordic Countries (Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland).
SWR broadcasts every first Saturday of the month at 00.00 - 24.00 Finnish time. In wintertime that is UTC + 2 hours and at summertime UTC + 3 hours. SWR is also on the air in some special occasions, for example at Christmas.
Untill 5. May 2001 SWR was broadcasting only in 25 meters in 11690 and 11720 kHz. 2. June 2001 SWR started to use another transmitter. It operates in 48 mb, were the frequencies are 5980, 5990 and 6170 kHz.
In 25 mb the reception is best in Central-Europe and the British Isles, but SWR has also received several reports from USA. In 48 mb the reception is better in Finland and the areas close to Finland. The transmitter power in both bands has been around 50 watts. Upgrades will follow.
From enthusiasts to enthusiasts
An association called "The support group of alternative broadcasting" is responsible for the operation of SWR. The editors and DJ's of the station are mostly members of the association. All members have fulltime jobs elsewhere and no-one is a radio professional at the moment. All the members have sometimes been working on some other radio station, either as a editor or in maintenance. SWR also gives airtime to contributors and students. SWR also relays good quality shows from Radio Marabu and The Big Backyard.
The station has been built to an old farmhouse in countryside. There are studio, kitchen, lobby, outside toilet, sauna and a room for sleeping. The antenna tower in the garden is about 20 meters tall. The studio equipment are mostly inexpensive brand name homestereolevel pieces. 2 MD-decks, 3 CD-decks, 2 turntables, 1 MC-deck, 1 mixer and 3 microphones. All programs are recorded with a VHS-homevideorecorder. The incoming calls are feeded into the mixer with the help of a laptop PC with Nokia GSM-card and a hands free set.
The antenna for 25 meters is a halfwave dipole antenna, which is hanging in around 20 meters of the ground. In 48 mb SWR uses a special dipole antenna, which is fixed 6 meters of the ground.
Freedom and power
SWR has no format and no playlists. There is a rule, that over half of the music should be from Finland. SWR aims to play mostly music, that is not played in other radio stations. The editors are couraged to use other languages than Finnish. English is most common language in programs. The editor makes the final decision. He plays whatever he wants and talks whatever he wants. Almost all programs are broadcasted live.
Luckily the music tastes of the SWR editors differ very much. That's why there is lots of different music in different shows. DJ Ville has a show called "Perkele" (= devil), where he plays heavy rock and other black and hard music. DJ Tex Willer loves roots music and plays Rock'a'billy, country and '50's rock'n'roll in his "Rockin' Rhythm" -show. DJ Häkä takes it to the limit with techno and dance. SWR has only limited record collection.
The editors mostly bring their own records to SWR when they have a show to do. Some record companies have started to send promo copies to SWR. SWR loves to plays them. Especially small independent record companies like the possibility to reach listeners around the Europe.
Even though SWR is commercial station, there has been only few advertisers. SWR is not selling radio advertisements actively. The station mostly gets the needed money from the members. The biggest cost for the station are the music copyright fees.
Do you want to join?
SWR is operated by the volunteers. SWR is open for people who love the radio. SWR gives airtime to enthusiasts who want to be on the air. All of you are very wellcome to visit the station during the broadcasts. If you happen to be in Finland around the first saturday of the month, come to see us. You can find more information and great photos about SWR in SWR-webpages www.swradio.net. You can send questions, reception reports and comments by e-mail to info(a)swradio.net. The mailing address is SWR, P.O.Box 35, FIN-40321 JYVÄSKYLÄ, Finland. SWR answers to all correct reception reports with a multicolor QSL-card. Just remember to enclose 2 IRC's or 2 USD or 2 EUR with your report. SWR has managed so well, because there has been so many people who have been working so hard to make the dreams come true.
DJ Tex Willer
The author was first time applying for a broadcasting license in 1983, he has been producing radio shows to 6 countries and he has been a managing director of a large Finnish local radio station.
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