Our Good friends
Friends of Radio Blacksmith Knoll
The entire concept of “Radio Blacksmith Knoll” would not have been possible without significant assistance from the members of SLART, the Finnish DX association SDXL, and Realmix Radio Mr. Joakim (JWE).
The idea for RBSK emerged during a fleeting moment on a late summer night, prompted by the question: “Why not?” The nostalgic and well-known frequency of Pori Shortwave Station, 6120 kHz, had remained silent for nearly 10 years. No one had claimed it, and the opportunity to bring it back to life and once again share music with the world was too enticing to pass up.
As public radio broadcasting celebrates its 100th anniversary, what could be more awesome than reviving the legendary 6120 frequency?
The journey began swiftly. Just 12 hours after receiving the official license from the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (which handles matters like this in Finland), I received the first inquiry about the frequency. Shortly thereafter, a friend contacted me with a simple question: “Is this you?”
Within 48 hours, most of the essential groundwork was in place. I even had some test material to try out. Now, I eagerly awaited the official date mentioned in the license so that I could begin test broadcasts. At one minute past midnight, the transmitter was activated, and the first tones filled the air!
Less than a week has passed since then, and things are looking very promising. I’ve received positive feedback and greetings from all over Europe regarding the activation of 6120.
But what about my friends?
This year has been exceptional for hobby-based shortwave stations in Finland. First came Realmix Radio, impressing everyone with their quality programs and technical prowess. Then there was Radio Pico, quickly becoming a legend with their humor and original content.
Of course, we can’t forget SWR (Scandinavian Weekend Radio), which has been showing us the way since 2000. SWR holds the crown as an independent, non-commercial shortwave broadcaster in Finland.
RBSK doesn’t aim to compete with these excellent stations. We’ve made a deliberate decision not to broadcast our show if any of the mentioned stations are actively on air — not only to avoid competition but also because we genuinely want to listen to these other outstanding broadcasters. While transmitting, our own receiver is intentionally muted.
For us, this is a tremendous opportunity to revive the nostalgic medium wave (MW) and shortwave (SW) bands, offering something unique to people all around the world.
Thank you, dear listener. We do this not only for ourselves but especially for you.
The Operator - Blacksmith Knoll
