Welcome to the HFCC Homepage
The HFCC is a non-governmental, non-profit association, and a sector member of the International Telecommunication Union in Geneva in the category of international and regional organisations. It manages, and co-ordinates global databases of international shortwave broadcasting in keeping with International Radio Regulations of the ITU.
Shortwave radio was by far the most widely used means of distribution of international broadcasting only a couple of decades ago. In contrast with the rest of the radio spectrum, no acceptable method of assigning frequencies has ever been developed since the discovery of shortwave propagation in the 1920s. The unacceptable level of mutual interference among stations, and an improved climate after the end of the Cold War led to the development of global co-ordination.
Traditional delivery of international broadcasting has been changing rapidly, with the advent of digital technologies and the Internet - this is widely considered to be the future of media content distribution. At the same time there are compelling reasons to believe that broadcasting from terrestrial transmitters will remain an important guarantor of free and universal access to radio and TV programmes, especially during specific context situations of listeners and consumers. Unfortunately, there has never been an in-depth debate on this subject among the providers of international broadcasting.
The HFCC is fully committed to the development of a multi-platform system of distribution in international broadcasting, where the individual platforms do not exclude, but complement each other. It is evident that consumers should be offered the full range of all existing technologies and they should be free to select the best one depending on their individual circumstances. Read more.
Usually there is no problem in obtaining technical and programme information about local broadcasting, but it is more difficult to get complete and accurate schedule data of world-wide shortwave transmissions. The HFCC global database is exceptional in that it is updated on-line. Individual schedules are sorted either by Broadcaster or by Frequency Management Organisation. These schedules are now freely available on this website.
What's New
[7-Jun-2024] - B24 upload opened. Please review and confirm your contact details prior to uploading the initial version of your B24 data.
[29-May-2024] - Questionnaire on Capacitors - please respond by 15 July 2024. Please, kindly submit the simple form repeatedly for every capacitor type you use.
[26-Feb-2024] - A24 plenary minutes
[5-Feb-2024] - ITU-BR Circular Letter CR/501 containing closing dates for receipt of ITU HFBC A24 and B24 schedules, info on coordination meetings in 2024/2025, IRDR and the new eHFBC platform
[28-Dec-2023] - IMPORTANT: New requirement for foreign citizens entering Malaysia effective January 1, 2024
[11-Dec-2023] - A24 upload opened. Please review and confirm your contact details prior to uploading the initial version of your A24 data.
[13-Nov-2023] - A24 registration and hotel booking opened on the A24 Conference Webpage in the Member's Area
[13-Nov-2023] - eHFBC - new ITU online platform for HF broadcasting
[30-Oct-2023] - B23 GOE report
[20-Oct-2023] - B23 plenary minutes
[9-Oct-2023] - B23 operational data snapshot
[10-Aug-2023] - Follow up on the questionnaire on transmitter tubes and table by CPI
[8-Aug-2023] - B23 initial tentative data snapshot
[26-May-2023] - Encompass Digital Media Ltd are broadcasting Democratic Voice of Burma (DVOB) 1230-1300 UTC (daily) from Dhabayya utilising IRDR frequency 21840kHz transmitting from 29th May for approximately 1 month, providing special programming to Myanmar in response to the recent cyclone
[20-May-2023] - Sad news about Tom Lucey
[5-May-2023] - Summary of the questionnaire on transmitter tubes. The Questionnaire remains open for further responses
[5-May-2023] - Steps to apply for standard (non-ETA) visa added to the B23 webpage
[1-May-2023] - Encompass Digital Media Ltd are broadcasting Agricultural Voices Syria 0300-0330 UTC (weekdays) from Dhabayya utilising IRDR frequency 11840kHz transmitting from 24th April for 2 weeks of special programming educating farmers on how to grow and manage crops within the disaster zone
[9-Mar-2023] - Deadline for answering the Questionnaire on Transmitter Tubes has been extended
[1-Mar-2023] - A23 GOE report
[28-Feb-2023] - A23 plenary minutes