The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum » Another Longtime Shortwave Station Going Off The Air

RadioActive · October 30, 2026 5:03 pm

It wouldn't have been something I ever listened to, but it joins a growing list of stations abandoning shortwave. (There's very little left there to begin with.)

Now Catholic/religious outlet EWTN, which is on the air under the call letters WEWN, has announced it's abandoning the band for good after its final broadcast on Saturday, (Oct. 31st).

The station, which has been on SW since 1992, cites declining audiences and increased repair needs as the reason for going silent.

It's not the first time EWTN has gone to that big sign-off in the sky. They abadoned broadcasting to North America in 2008 and their signal has been emanating primarily to places like Africa and the Middle East ever since. It's primary frequencies were 12050 kHz and 15610 kHz.

Religious outlets were once common on the band (anyone remember "Brother Stair?") It's the end of another era as shortwave gives an increasingly short wave goodbye.

EWTN to end shortwave radio operations after 34 years

RadioActive · October 30, 2026 5:12 pm

There still are a few stubborn shortwave stations on the air. Not all of them are beamed this way, but they're out there.

Here's a current list, as of Oct. 30th, 2026.

Aytononline · October 30, 2026 6:06 pm

A just did a google search. Bell owns the very last short wave station in Canada. CFRX (simulcast of CFRB) is our last station here.

Scarboroughbluffsradiof99 · October 30, 2026 6:13 pm

I remember a few religious outlets on SW.
World harvest radio.
Family radio.
And 1 related to EWTN or maybe that was a programming block on EWTN, ave maria radio.
But, are wbcq and wwcr still on air?
When I had a shortwave radio, I used to love those 2 stations.

Scarboroughbluffsradiof99 · October 30, 2026 6:14 pm

Aytononline wrote:
A just did a google search. Bell owns the very last short wave station in Canada. CFRX (simulcast of CFRB) is our last station here.

We used to have RCI and cbc north on sw.

Chrisphen · October 30, 2026 7:15 pm

Aytononline wrote:
A just did a google search. Bell owns the very last short wave station in Canada. CFRX (simulcast of CFRB) is our last station here.

Ssssh! If Bell finds out they'll cut it.

Scarboroughbluffsradiof99 · October 30, 2026 8:02 pm

Chrisphen wrote:
Aytononline wrote:
A just did a google search. Bell owns the very last short wave station in Canada. CFRX (simulcast of CFRB) is our last station here.
Ssssh! If Bell finds out they'll cut it.

I would'nt care if that one was off air, I can get it on AM.
But, I hope WBCQ or WWCR never go off air, if they do, I hope they go internet only.
Why did cfrb even nead a shortwave station?
Who outside ontario cares about toronto isues?

turkeytop · October 30, 2026 8:48 pm

We still have Trenton Military Radio.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bu9JCSwTayU&t=125s

mace · Yesterday 5:41 am

Scarboroughbluffsradiof99 wrote:
Chrisphen wrote:
Aytononline wrote:
A just did a google search. Bell owns the very last short wave station in Canada. CFRX (simulcast of CFRB) is our last station here.
Ssssh! If Bell finds out they'll cut it.
I would'nt care if that one was off air, I can get it on AM.
But, I hope WBCQ or WWCR never go off air, if they do, I hope they go internet only.
Why did cfrb even nead a shortwave station?
Who outside ontario cares about toronto isues?

Snowbirds in Florida perhaps?

Shorty Wave · Yesterday 7:46 am

Aytononline wrote:
A just did a google search. Bell owns the very last short wave station in Canada. CFRX (simulcast of CFRB) is our last station here.

CFRX/CFRB was also part of the shortwave list provided here by RadioActive, could have saved yourself a Google search!

Shorty Wave · Yesterday 7:56 am

I still have a couple of SW/MW radios but as mentioned here, stations have been disappearing over the years. I used to enjoy scanning SW signals, especially on Sunday evenings when they really came in strong! I would listen to everything from current affairs to music and propaganda type programming, there was quite the selection back in the day and it was fun seeking them out. I used to keep a log of sorts and had a good handful of regular stations. Miss those days!

Shorty Wave · Yesterday 8:23 am

mace wrote:
Scarboroughbluffsradiof99 wrote:
Chrisphen wrote:
Ssssh! If Bell finds out they'll cut it.
I would'nt care if that one was off air, I can get it on AM.
But, I hope WBCQ or WWCR never go off air, if they do, I hope they go internet only.
Why did cfrb even nead a shortwave station?
Who outside ontario cares about toronto isues?
Snowbirds in Florida perhaps?

Excellent point mace. My in-laws were snowbirds and I gave them a small Grundig SW for Christmas one year. They mostly listened to RCI until it went off the air in 2012, but my father in law still would find stuff to listen to, as he quite liked his SW radio!

Scarboroughbluffsradiof99 · Yesterday 9:57 am

Shorty Wave wrote:
mace wrote:
Scarboroughbluffsradiof99 wrote:
I would'nt care if that one was off air, I can get it on AM.
But, I hope WBCQ or WWCR never go off air, if they do, I hope they go internet only.
Why did cfrb even nead a shortwave station?
Who outside ontario cares about toronto isues?
Snowbirds in Florida perhaps?

Excellent point mace. My in-laws were snowbirds and I gave them a small Grundig SW for Christmas one year. They mostly listened to RCI until it went off the air in 2012, but my father in law still would find stuff to listen to, as he quite liked his SW radio!

I forgot about them.
We still have snowbirds going to the u.s.
So, keep it for them.
I would miss my agar, kapelos, and moore if I was in the u.s because there conservitive talk is to far-right for me.
I would nead a nice break from that pro-america talk if I were a snowbird.
And, I hope RCI comes back.

Last edited by Scarboroughbluffsradiof99 (Yesterday 9:59 am)

Scarboroughbluffsradiof99 · Yesterday 10:03 am

Shortways brings back memories for me.
Its not the same doing what I do now, which is go to world radio map and listen to fms and dab stations from around the world.
Shortwave broadcasted programs that no fm I know had.
WBCQ had most of the interesting programming.
My other favourites on the band were bbc world service, RCI, WWCR, radio ukraine international, radio romania, and cbc north because the sw station had different programming than cbc 1 or 2.