Optimod - the monthly media magazine

One of my early ventures into broadcasting & on short wave, 'Optimod' was a news / documentary style programme presented by me Jim Douglas (well that still is my real name!) & ran from June 1993 to April 1994, & then intermittently until July 1995.

I was fortunate enough to know the management of B.I.R.S. - the Belgian International Relay Service - who were happy to air my monthly two hour programmes via their short wave transmission services. The programme mainly consisted of media news read out from magazines & newspapers together with audio items, & covered all aspects of radio & television. I think it would be fair to say that this was greatly inspired by the excellent 'Radiofax', Britain's number two shortwave station.

This project was great fun & I received a marvellous response with reception reports sent in along with articles for inclusion in the programme. In these pre-email times all contact was by letter, & correspondence came in from all over Europe including the UK, Germany, Eire, France, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Czech Republic, Channel Isles, & the Netherlands. The programme was also regularly listed in the 'Alternative Airwaves' section of the BDXC magazine Communication.

NB - with enormous gratitude & credit to BDXC - THE BRITISH DX CLUB - still producing their excellent monthly magazine 'COMMUNICATION' in 2024 after all these years! Details at - www.bdxc.org.uk

QSL sheets & letters were sent out to all listeners who made contact, & I also received tapes of 'off-air' recordings from across Europe. Here's an example of Optimod via B.I,R.S. on short wave...

The original programme tapes have survived 30+ years & I have now uploaded some for listening to again. Whilst I seemed to spend a long time reading out station frequencies, these programmes are an interesting look back at free radio activity in the 1990's, & I also used to read out listeners letters so if you recall writing in then you may hear your name mentioned!

This is a good time to say a retrospective 'Thank You' to the free radio station operators who relayed my programme & to all listeners who made contact. I met many radio colleagues back then & am pleased to say that I remain in contact with quite a few, many of them still fanatical & all of them still an inspiration!

Optimod No. 3 - August 1993 - via B.I.R.S.

Optimod No. 4 - September 1993 - via B.I.R.S.

Optimod No. 5 - October 1993 - via B.I.R.S.

Following the unfortunate closedown of the Belgian International Relay Service in 1994, Optimod was left temporarily without a home. Optimod later returned thanks to friends at Angel Radio International via their shortwave service & again a good response was received from across Europe. Here's an extract from the November 1994 broadcast.

Optimod November 1994 - via Angel Radio International

All good things come to an end & Angel Radio were also subject to an enforced closedown. Apart from a brief return in July 1995 via Radio Zodiac, Optimod faded away into the ether never to be heard again.

Looking back after all these years this was a very enjoyable project & a forerunner of what was to come 20 years later. If anyone reading this remembers listening, then hello to you, & if you were one of the people who wrote in, then a big 'Thank You'!

Below is a small selection of listeners letters...

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