Cryptic shortwave radio broadcasts of coded numbers have been haunting the airwaves since the Cold War. Who is sending them, and why are they still transmitting today?
An accessible intro to numbers stations — what they are, how you can listen to them on shortwave radio, and why they have captivated hobbyists for decades.
Producer David Goren explores the underground community of hobbyists who track these cryptic broadcasts, including the famous Conet Project recordings.
Actual recording of the Lincolnshire Poacher, a British MI6 numbers station that used bars from an English folk song as its interval signal. It broadcast from Cyprus until 2008.
The Buzzer has droned on 4625 kHz since the 1970s — a monotonous buzz repeating 25 times per minute, 24/7. Sometimes a Russian voice breaks through with coded words.
How numbers stations use one-time pad encryption — theoretically unbreakable — and documented espionage cases where they were used, from WWII to modern intelligence.
Deep-dive covering how governments use shortwave for espionage, the Cuban Five prosecution that proved numbers stations are spy tools, and why the broadcasts continue today.
The legendary 4-CD collection of numbers station recordings compiled by Akin Fernandez starting in 1992. Sampled by Wilco on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
The active community tracking numbers stations in real time. Includes schedules, frequencies, and links to online software-defined radios so you can listen yourself — right now.