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General Category => General Radio Discussion => Topic started by: jordan on September 24, 2014, 0328 UTC

Title: Bluegrass music on shortwave
Post by: jordan on September 24, 2014, 0328 UTC

Suppose someone were to play an entire bluegrass CD album some evening on 6930 kHz AM.  Would the listener likely listen to the entire thing?  How many listeners do you think it would draw?

Title: Re: Bluegrass music on shortwave
Post by: Fansome on September 24, 2014, 0355 UTC

I'd listen, and I'd bet that a lot of others would also.

There used to be a Bluegrass artist who had a show on WBCQ, a commercial shortwave station that is rumored to have pirate connections and roots. He played music from his personal Bluegrass music archive, as well as his own music. He was unusual in that he was blind. I don't know if he is still producing shows, but I always enjoyed the ones that I heard.

Radio Appalachia, a pirate that plays a lot of Bluegrass, comes on the air from time to time, to this day. They are usually  logged by a lot of people.

As to how many would listen, the size of pirate radio audiences has been subject to debate for a long time. Probably the best estimate would come from the number of QSL requests that current pirates get for each broadcast, and of course they are not likely to talk about this. I have heard that 50 or so requests is a healthy number, so taking into account that people who hear broadcasts are highly unlikely to ask for a QSL, I would make a wild guess that maybe 1000 listeners might be the upper limit on those that might hear a broadcast in the USA. Overseas, it's a conundrum.

Title: Re: Bluegrass music on shortwave
Post by: Pigmeat on September 24, 2014, 0432 UTC

Shoot! I can't remember that guys name, Al. He was relayed in Europe by the guy who used to relay Laser Hot Hits for a number of years.

I actually relayed a couple of his shows Stateside in the early 2000's. I've still got the tape around somewhere.

Title: Re: Bluegrass music on shortwave
Post by: ulx2 on September 29, 2014, 2327 UTC

May be that was Bluegrass State of Mind by Danny Haller?

http://dannyhaller.com (http://dannyhaller.com)

Title: Re: Bluegrass music on shortwave
Post by: Fansome on September 30, 2014, 0159 UTC

Yeah, that's the guy. I haven't listened to his show (or WBCQ, for that matter) for quite some time, but I thought it was pretty good.

Quote from: ulx2 on September 29, 2014, 2327 UTC

May be that was Bluegrass State of Mind by Danny Haller?

http://dannyhaller.com (http://dannyhaller.com)