The role of shortwave radio in the Blues is well established: Blues legend Taj Mahal tells biographers that he learned about the rich world Blues tradition by listening to his parentsʼ shortwave radio as a child. Shortwave radio does not recognize economic or political barriers. Two thirds of the world’s population lives beyond the internet. Many live in poverty, in war zones, or in countries which restrict media access. The internet can be blocked. Our shortwave signal cannot.
How does our live Blues shortwave radio broadcast travel so far? Unlike FM radio signals, which are entirely local, and domestic AM signals, which are at best heard by a regional audience, shortwave signals have a unique advantage: they reflect back to earth from the ionosphere, skipping extraordinary distances of thousands of miles. The frequency used to broadcast BRI is positioned in a prime portion of the radio spectrum to maximize the worldwide audience for these long distance broadcasts. Learn more about how the unique phenomenon of shortwave propagation brings Blues Radio International to our worldwide audience.