The animated television special "A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS SPECIAL" directed by Bill Melendez, based on the comic strip 'Peanuts', by Charles M. Schulz, was first shown #OnThisDay in 1965 on the CBS network 📺 Lee Mendelson #XMAS2025 #ChristmasCountdown2025 🎄🔔🍷☃️🕯🦌🎅🏻❄️🎁

Voice of America reached 360 million people around the world in a typical week. That’s more than the entire U.S. population. Here’s how we get the numbers.

This day, 36 years ago, I found my first two hammered coins. At a farmhouse we were working at, and ultimately led to my first farmland permission. A penny of Henry VI, 1422-1461 A halfpenny of Richard II, 1377-99

Happy Thanksgiving!

November has been a relatively quite detecting month over the years. But I did get out a few times. From 26th November 2023 17th century trade token issued by Iames Harlwin of Needham Market in 1666.

For future reference

We’re getting ready to talk about saving VOA over the holidays and thought we’d share a few tips! What questions are you hearing from your friends and family? Let us know in the comments and we’ll help you respond!

Mighty KBC rocks the airwaves with Dave & Eric Sundays at 0100-0300 UTC (Sat. 8-10p EST) on 5950 kHz. A snazzy station promo tune starts Eric's show. A Birthday Radiogram in MFSK64 @ 0230z. DX Headlines with SSTV/Data @ ~0250z. A Loyal Listener tribute song towards the end of the hour!

Lots of minor space weather "rattling" over the past 25 hour or so. Bz has has numerous rapid fluctuations, mainly within the +/- 6 range. Snapshots here from HamClock at ~2325 UTC / 3:25 PM PST here in Vancouver.

The tea set made in Ohio, 2314 UTC, 9455 kHz from WRMI Florida, received 1) here in northern Virginia and 2) via SDR in Alberta. MFSK64 text (240 wpm) decoded 100% via both receivers.

No finds from this day, so here's a rather splendid penny of King John found last year. Minted by Miles of Oxford AD 1205-1206 HENRICVS REX MILES.ON.OCSE

Final airing of this program tonight! 😺🎶

Rewarding a dictator-aggressor always leads to another war. One that is usually even worse.

In its report to Congress, the US China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) recommends “funding for VOA and public diplomacy programs focused on investigative journalism and countering disinformation in the Pacific Islands.”

#DXing #SWL #Shortwave

Old Skool #Audio Stack. #Audiophile

Set your alarm clock... The Mighty KBC presents Uncle Eric's "The Giant Jukebox" music show with his great mix of oldies. Friday, tune your radio to 15770 kHz at 1100-1200 UTC and enjoy. A Birthday Radiogram in MFSK64 at ~1130 UTC.

A federal judge blocks the Trump administration’s effort to cancel collective bargaining agreements for VOA and USAGM employees, slamming the move as clear retaliation for the workers’ efforts to halt the dismantling government-funded news outlets […]

A federal judge blocks the Trump administration's effort to cancel collective bargaining agreements for VOA and USAGM employees, slamming the move as clear retaliation for the workers' efforts to halt the dismantling government-funded news outlets. www.courthousenews.com/trump-...

Few insults are as mean as those from 1920s silent movies ;) From 'Kiki' (1926) www.imdb.com/title/tt0017...

Preservationists are petitioning to save the Wilbur J. Cohen building (VOA headquarter) housing rare New Deal-era murals.

I totally did not make any changes to this chart.

The finale of the great TV comedy show Blackadder goes Forth. Back then I didn't expect one of the funniest programmes ever to end with a scene that makes me cry every time I see it. Every single time.

Former Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili recalls how his parents secretly tuned in to Voice of America during Soviet times — “a voice that helped win two world wars: against fascism and against lies.” He urges America to keep that voice alive in today’s era of disinformation. #SaveVOE #VOEGeo

new record wall! will try to keep up with changing it each month. here is November 2025:

RTÉ management on collision course with staff

Exciting times at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, home of the Meridian Line! It's 350 years old & needs a bit of a refurb, caring for the wonderful buildings & making them more accessible, easier to navigate & even more exciting. 2 yr project starts now! More here: www.rmg.co.uk/royal-observ...

The utter stupidity of pursuing a criminal trial against someone for throwing a sandwich that bounced off a bullet proof vest pissing away hundreds of thousands of dollars for this joke is the perfect encapsulation of this Administration.

“If the information space continues to be dominated by America’s adversaries and their partners, nearly all the domestic and foreign policy challenges facing the United States today will likely persist or worsen.”

VOA: Defending Freedom, Countering Authoritarianism “Voice of America is our best defense against propaganda and the killing of truth. Silencing VOA would silence democracy itself.” — Allan Lichtman, American University #SaveVOA #PressFreedom

When VOA was silenced, our adversaries quickly moved in. In Africa, the Kremlin has doubled down on its disinformation and propaganda, targeting the continent's youth, taking advantage of rapid digital expansion and low literacy rates. Read more 👇

🚨 Event alert ‼️ Public Diplomacy Council of America will look at the past year's struggle to keep on air America's voice to the world via VOA, RFE/RL, Radio Martí, and RFA. Speaker: former VOA journalist @newsguy.bsky.social Mon 11/3 at noon at GWU's Lindner Family Commons. Register 👇

Patsy Widakuswara, who led Voice of America’s White House coverage until March and has joined other employees in suing the administration, said funding quality journalism was the most effective way to argue for free speech, regardless of an administration’s short-term policy interests.

Alfred the Great, king of the Anglo-Saxons, died #OTD 899. St Cuthbert appeared in a vision to the then king of the West Saxons as he sought refuge in the Somerset marshes, vowing he would defeat his foes. This he did at the Battle of Ethandune (Edington, Wiltshire) in 878. 📸CNG

Sid Davis, a White House correspondent who witnessed the swearing-in of LBJ as president aboard Air Force One after the 1963 assassination of JFK in Dallas, has died at the age of 97. I believed his final on-camera interview was the one I conducted for VOA. www.voanews.com/a/dateline-d...

My name is Voice of America, but they call me… www.instagram.com/reel/DQPDKy-...

A Bronze Sestertius coin (132-134 A.D.) The inscription reads FELICITATI AUG - Prosperity from the Augustus (Emperor). At San Rossore, the wrecks of 30 vessels were found including cargos & everyday items. Now in Museo delle Navi Antiche di Pisa, #Pisa #RomanSiteSaturday.

Project 2025 says they want VOA staff who “actually believe in America,” rather than “parrot our adversaries’ propaganda and talking points.” Patsy Widakuswara, VOA journalist and lead plaintiff in the lawsuit against our dismantling, has thoughts. Link below 👇 www.instagram.com/p/DQNHw5egcr...

Steel City - Radio Girls [Finland, pop rock, new wave] (1982) The lead singer, Kaija Koo, became one of the most successful artists ever in Finland, but her early performances have remained as rather obscure to the big audien https://redd.it/kuh5o7 https://youtu.be/wj2MaWpjGGI

Hmmmmm.... #drm @drmna.bsky.social

Game 1 World Series hero Addison Barger slept on Davis Schneider's pull-out couch last night. You can't make this stuff up.

Weather looking reasonable for the weekend, so will probably head to my possibly cut half coin spill area, or if I get bored, I'll try a different area of the field. It's been good for me so far 🥰 (some of the approximately 100 hammered from this part of the field)

Sports on the front page today:

Seongeun Lee wrote in this opinion piece, Trump “slashed budgets for US-funded media outlets, including the Voice of America, weakening platforms that projected Washington’s perspective abroad.” Opinion by Seongeun Lee.

“The decision to dismantle the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which includes Radio Free Europe and Voice of America, was welcomed by the Kremlin publicly…Fewer independent and reliable sources means there’s more space for Russian propaganda.”

Without VOA, young Africans are hearing more news from China and Russia, and less from America. That means fewer chances to hear both sides of the story.

"A Poem On The Subject The Norse Realm Of Primordial Mist, Ice, And Snow, Located Far To The North, And Ruled by the Goddess Hel" It’s very cold in Niflheim: You could pick up a sniffleheim.

“VOA was established as an American broadcaster during World War II and over the decades has played a role in cultural diplomacy, supporting U.S. soft power through its programming for audiences abroad.”

Hallo from Berlin Mitte 👋

#Radio #SWL #Shortwave Don Harron aka Charlie Farquharson