Kanimbla Update – What happened to this ship afterwards?

Just a few weeks back, we presented the story of the radio station on board the Australian motor vessel “Kanimbla” [see Wavescan 384]. On that occasion, we mentioned that the ship was built in Belfast, Ireland and that it was the only ship in the world into which a radio station was installed at the … Read more

First Music Broadcast from a Ship

The July issue of “Radio & Television News” for the year 1954 tells the story–a very unusual story, actually–of what they claim is the first broadcast of music from a ship. The item was written by Charles G. Cooke, who heard the broadcast. This is what he says: Here is the story of what was … Read more

America’s First Floating Broadcaster – A 78 Year Old Story

The American magazine, Radio News; for October 1924, tells the story of what is described as America’s first floating broadcaster. This is what the article from 78 years ago says: The USS Leviathan is the first floating broadcast station. It is not yet officially licensed to broadcast, but instead it is operating on an experimental … Read more

Ship Broadcasting in Australian Waters

In this episode on the annals of radio broadcasting from ships, we take a look at the scene in the South Pacific again, in the waters surrounding Australia. We turn the clock back to the year 1926 and we observe that the European vessel, Carinthia, is steaming through the waters of the Southern Ocean below … Read more

Ship Broadcasting in the Pacific, Part II

In our continuing series of topics on radio broadcasting from ships, we return to the exotic South Pacific in the era between the two wars. In this era of experimental radio broadcasting, a large number of ships plying the oceans of the world would transmit short special programs. The wireless equipment was available, and it … Read more

Ship Broadcasting in the Pacific, Part I

In our continuing series of topics on the subject of radio broadcasting from ships, we turn ourattention now to the exotic South Pacific. In July 1925, the United States Pacific Fleet left from its base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii for astate visit to Australia. The battleship, “West Virginia” acted as the radio control vessel … Read more

Radio Broadcasting from Ships 5 – Americas in Recent Years

On this occasion we pick up again the story of radio broadcasting from ships, and this time during the postwar era in the Americas. During this period of time it is known that at least seven ships were involved in some form of radio broadcasting. Back in the year 1961, the military fiasco known as … Read more

Radio Broadcasting from Ships – The Americas

We return to the matter of radio broadcasting from ships, and we choose the American scene in its earlier era. It is discovered that at least five different ships were on the air with broadcast programming in the Americas during the era between the two Great Wars. It was in the year 1919 that Woodrow … Read more

Radio Broadcasting from Ships: Europe and the Atlantic

Back during the era of the 1920s and 1930s, it was the custom of the day for ships passing each other in mid-Atlantic to salute each other by playing musical records over their communication radio transmitters. On many occasions this interesting phenomenon was noted, though usually the printed DX reports do not mention the name … Read more