List of American shortwave broadcasters

Among the nations of the world, the USA is unique in that it has allowed private ownership of commercial and non-commercial shortwave stations that are not relays of existing AM/MW or FM radio stations, as are common in Africa, Europe, Asia, Oceania and Latin America. Most privately owned shortwave stations have been religious broadcasters, either wholly owned and programmed by Roman Catholic and evangelical Protestant charities or offering brokered programming consisting primarily of religious broadcasters. To better reach other continents of the world, several stations are located in far-flung US territories. Shortwave stations in the USA are not permitted to operate exclusively for a domestic audience. They are subject to antenna and power requirements to reach an international audience.

Religious and political extremism on shortwave radio

American shortwave stations have been criticized for airing brokered programming that tends to be extremist Christian fundamentalism or radical right wing politically-oriented.Fact|date=April 2008 At the same time, it should be noted that shortwave stations present an opportunity for freedom of expression not found in other more highly regulated mediums.

Non-religious private broadcasters

While most private shortwave broadcasters in the United States are operated by religious groups or carry mostly religious programming, there have also been attempts at starting non-religious shortwave stations.

Two such stations were WRNO in New Orleans and KUSW in Salt Lake City, both of them with a rock and roll music format. Both stations were well received by shortwave listeners, but could not make the format successful in the long run. KUSW wound up being sold to the Trinity Broadcasting Network and is now religious broadcaster KTBN. WRNO kept its rock & roll format going for most of the 1980s but eventually switched formats to selling brokered airtime to political and religious broadcasts, suffered a damaged transmitter, and eventually ceased broadcasting altogether following the death of its owner, Joe Costello.

A notable exception is WBCQ, a non-religious private station operated by Allan Weiner in Maine. WBCQ has been a success by brokering much of their airtime to religious programs like Brother Stair, while also carrying some music and entertainment programs. "Allan Weiner Worldwide" which can be heard in most of North America airs Fridays from 8:00 to 9:00 PM Eastern time and 7:00 to 8:00 PM central time on 7415 kilocycles, Jay Smilkstein an electrical and mechanical genius who designs and builds high fidelity radios, amplifiers and Volkswagen air cooled engine parts is frequently on the show.

Pirate radio

Numerous pirate radio stations have operated sporadically in or just outside the shortwave broadcast bands. Most are operated by hobbyists for the amusement of DX'ers with broadcasts typically only a few hours in length.

Few American pirates are political or controversial in their programming. Pirates have tended to cluster in unofficial "pirate bands" based on the current schedules of licensed shortwave stations and the retuning of amateur radio transmitters to operate outside the "ham" radio bands.

Most pirate activity takes place on weekends or holidays, Halloween and April Fool's Day being traditional favorites of pirates. Most broadcasts are only a few minutes to a few hours at a time. One notable exception was Radio NewYork International, a short-lived attempt to establish a permanent broadcasting station operating from international waters.

Some European nations have recently begun allowing privately owned shortwave stations on a far more limited scale.

Notable personalities

Preachers/Religious broadcasters

* Tony Alamo
* Kirby Anderson
* Mother Angelica
* Harold Camping
* E. C. Fulcher
* Texe Marrs
* Robert Mawire
* Dr. Gene Scott (deceased)
* Brother Stair

White Supremacists

* Peter J. Peters
* William Luther Pierce (deceased)
* Kevin Alfred Strom
* Hal Turner
* Ernst Zündel

Commentators

* Willis Conover (deceased)
* William Cooper (deceased)
* Chuck Harder
* Glenn Hauser - World Of Radio
* Marie Lamb - DXing With Cumbre
* Alex Jones
* Rush Limbaugh - his show was carried on WRNO-Worldwide in the 1990s
* Jay Smilkstein
* Allan Weiner
* Paul Harvey -News & Commentary/Rest Of The Story is carried on AFRTS Radio
* Jack Anderson (deceased) - was heard on AFRTS Radio in the 1980's
* Mort Crim
* John Stadtmiller - his show is broadcast on WWRB-SW
* The Right Perspective on WWCR with John from Staten Island and Frank from Queens

Shortwave stations

Canada

CBC Radio One transmits CBU and CBN on shortwave at 1 kW ERP.
* CBC Radio North transmits on shortwave as well, using facilities of Radio Canada International in Sackville, New Brunswick.

Government broadcasters (USA)

* Voice of America

Current privately owned US broadcasters

* KAIJ - Dr. Gene Scott - Dallas, Texas
* KFBS - Far East Broadcasting Company - Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands
* KHBN - High Adventure Ministries Piti, Guam
* KJES - "The Lord's Station" - Vado, New Mexico
* KNLS - Anchor Point, Alaska
* KSDA - Adventist World Radio - Agat, Guam
* KTWR - Trans World Radio - Agana, Guam
* KVOH - "Voice of Hope" - Rancho Simi, California
* KWHR - "World Harvest Radio" - Naalehu, Hawaii
* WBCQ - "The Planet" - Monticello, Maine
* WBOH - Fundamental Broadcasting Network - Newport, North Carolina
* WEWN - "Eternal Word Network" - Irondale, Alabama
* WHRA - "World Harvest Radio" - Greenbush, Maine
* WHRI - "World Harvest Radio" - Noblesville, Indiana
* WINB - "World International Broadcasting" - Red Lion, Pennsylvania
* WJIE - Evangel World Prayer Center - Louisville, Kentucky
* WMLK - Assemblies of Yahweh - Bethel, Pennsylvania
* WRMI - "Radio Miami International" - Miami, Florida
* WTJC - Fundamental Broadcasting Network - Newport, North Carolina
* WWCR - "Worldwide Christian Radio" - Nashville, Tennessee
* WWRB - Manchester, Tennessee (successor to WGTG and WWFV)
* WYFR - "Family Radio" - Okeechobee, Florida

Defunct broadcasters

* KGEI - Oakland, CA (transmitter site in Redwood City, CA)
* KHBN - Palau (now T8BZ)
* KIMF - Pinon, New Mexico (licensed, but never built)
* KTBN - Trinity Broadcasting Network - Salt Lake City, Utah
* KUSW - "Superpower" - Salt Lake City, Utah (station sold, and became KTBN)
* WGTG - McCaysville, Georgia
* WNRI: Bound Brook, New Jersey owned by NBC
* WNYW - "Radio New York Worldwide" - Scituate, Massachusetts
* WRNO - "WRNO Worldwide" - New Orleans, Louisiana - "(Off the air for many years before its antenna was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina)"
* WSHB - Furman, South Carolina
* WWBS - Macon, Georgia
* Radio Newyork International - Pirate radio station operating from international waters

New stations

* KTMI - Lebanon, Oregon - not yet on the air, construction permit

External links

* [http://ftp.fcc.gov/ib/sand/neg/hf_web/stations.html Official listing of active stations] at the FCC.gov website."CAUTION:" This FCC information is often out of date, and does not include domestic IBB relay stations.
*Shortwavesites [http://shortwavesites.googlepages.com/] The shortwave transmitter site archive of current & historical shortwave transmitter site information. Includes data on North American shortwave broadcasters transmitter sites both past & present
* [http://www.naswa.net/swlguide/ shortwave radio guide]
*Glenn Hauser's [http://www.angelfire.com/ok/worldofradio World of Radio] website
* [http://dxradio.50webs.com SWDXER] ¨The SWDXER¨ - with general SWL information and radio antenna tips.
* [http://www.rwonline.com/reference-room/special-report/05_rwf_shortwave_2.shtml Radio World special report on American shortwave stations]