Over 1,000 weekly Media Network shows, from May 7, 1981, to October 26, 2000, were created for broadcast on international shortwave radio station Radio Netherlands from Hilversum, in the Netherlands.

Media Network reported topics ranging from new radio receiver reviews to satellite communication, from fax machines to the rise of email and the internet. The program started in an era with major interest in and relevancy of international shortwave radio broadcasting and ended after the development of internet-provided on-demand content.

As the Dutch government came to see international radio broadcasting as antiquated, Radio Netherlands suffered budget cuts, finally ending English programs on June 29, 2012. Other language services stopped before that or soon after.

Although now working in a new field, Jonathan Marks is making available copies of many individual Media Network shows, which are downloadable at his podcasting website. You can find other English language programs from Radio Netherlands at the Radio Netherlands Archives site.

I created this audio stream to play a random assortment of all available Media Network shows largely for my own personal enjoyment–but I hope you enjoy them, too. It operates 24 hours per day except for occasional maintenance windows.

Thank you, Jonathan, for saving and sharing these programs, which are an important souvenir of a golden age of international broadcasting from one of international broadcasting’s most popular and innovative stations!