FRS-Holland 45th anniversary broadcast, a major milestone in the history of shortwave free radio on Sunday, November 2, 2025. From a 10-watt transmitter hidden in a wooden trunk in 1980 to a globally respected independent broadcaster, FRS has carried its message across the airwaves to generations of DXers.

This special anniversary broadcast will run from 09:52 to 15:05 CET. It promising a day filled with music, listener contributions, and surprises. FRS-Holland invites listeners to share their voices, memories, and one-sentence reflections on what the station means to them, making this celebration truly interactive.

Over those nearly five decades, FRS has left a lasting impact on the free radio / DXing community. In this post, we’ll take you on a journey through its origins, growth, and what lies ahead for this beloved station. It also culminates in a look at what the 45-year celebration promises.

📻 Origins & Early Days: How FRS-Holland Got Started

Every legendary station has a humble beginning rooted in a dream. For FRS-Holland, that dream came alive on Sunday, August 31, 1980, when the station made its first broadcast using a 10 W transmitter on 6250 kHz (48 meter band). It was modest in power but strong in vision.

Just four months later, FRS expanded and added a second transmitter on the 41 m band. Initially switching between 7325 and later 7315 kHz. To house both transmitters in the field, the team repurposed an old wooden WWII trunk (the kind originally intended for transport of goods) as the enclosure — yes, really! The internal lid had bored twice to accommodate the tube valves.

Authorities raided the secret transmitter site in January 1983 and confiscated the wooden trunk containing the two transmitters. Yet the spirit of FRS remained unbroken. Years later, DXers spotted the same trunk at an exhibition of seized pirate equipment in The Hague. Became something of a curiosity: in 1984, it appeared on Dutch television during a segment about pirate radio, revealing that regulatory authorities had not destroyed the station’s equipment.

Over time, FRS evolved: more transmitters, more frequencies, better audio, more structured programming — all while staying true to a free and independent spirit.

📡 Broadcast Information — How FRS-Holland Operates

FRS-Holland strove for regularity, scheduling broadcasts on the 3rd Sunday of each month, with occasional extra “5th Sunday” transmissions during its first decade. Over time, that rhythm shifted. During the 2000s. Especially following the passing of founding member Joop ter Zee—the operation slowed, as staffing dropped to just two active presenters (Peter Verbruggen and Mark Jones), testing the station’s resolve and continuity.

From its early monthly Sunday transmissions, FRS-Holland has matured into a regular schedule of 4–5 broadcasts per year, each lasting 5+ hours.

• Timing: Typically 10:00–16:00 CET.
• Frequencies: Over the years, FRS has used 7700 kHz, 6185 kHz, 9300 kHz, and 5800 kHz (depending on propagation). In summer, frequencies in the 13 MHz band are occasionally tested.
• Programming: Guided by their slogan “A balance between Music & Information joined into one format — the FRS concept sounds different, just a bit different.” The mix includes quality pop music, DX & free radio news, retro features, and shows like FRS Magazine, Everything 80s, Uplink, Radiowaves, and Forgotten Pirates.
• Listener Interaction: Regular features spotlight letters, listener of the month, and QSL requests. Reports are highly valued and rewarded with special verifications.
• Web Streaming: Beyond shortwave, FRS also streams via laut.fm and dedicated servers (e.g. frsonline.ddns.net) for 1–2 weeks after each broadcast, making it accessible worldwide.

• Campus radio
• FM Radio
• DRM Radio

🕰️ Key Moments & Timeline Highlights

Below is a summary timeline of important events in FRS-Holland’s history.

🎼 What to Expect on the 45th Anniversary Broadcast

FRS-Holland promises a festive, listener-centric day:

• Musical journey: Songs spanning 1980–2015, covering multiple styles and eras.
• Listener participation: You’re invited to submit a one-sentence message: “What does FRS-Holland mean to you?” — either as text or (if possible) an mp3. Responses must arrive by October 5, 2025.
• Varied content & surprises: The broadcast will be interwoven with multiple themes, special segments, and unexpected treats.
• Multiple frequencies: They will announce the exact frequencies in advance via email and on their website.
• Commemorative QSL / souvenirs: Based on past anniversaries, special QSLs, booklets, or CDs may accompany this event (for listeners who send reception reports). (For example, for their 40th they offered a souvenir booklet and CD)

One thing is clear: this won’t be just another broadcast. According to their message, it will be “a broadcast not soon to be forgotten.”

🎯 What Makes FRS-Holland Unique (and Dear to DXers)

• Independent & non-commercial: FRS is non-political, non-religious, non-commercial — broadcasting “for the love of (free) radio.”
• A balance of music & information: Their programming often includes pop music, radio-related news segments, listener mail, DX items, and historical context.
• Heritage & continuity: Their website even includes a year-by-year historical archive starting from 1980.
• Global reach through shortwave: Because they operate via shortwave, FRS reaches listeners across continents, bridging time zones, cultures, and enthusiasm for radio.
• Listener engagement & traditions: Over the years, they have relied heavily on listener reports, QSL exchanges, personal stories, and community involvement — keeping the station alive via passion, not profit.

📝 Tips: How to Be Part of the Celebration

1. Send your message early
   Compose a short sentence replying to “What does FRS-Holland mean to you?” — either as text or audio (mp3) — and send it by October 5, 2025, to [email protected] or via P.O. Box 2702, 6049 ZG Herten, Netherlands.
2. Tune in on November 2
   Mark your calendar for 09:52 – 15:05 CET (UTC 07:52 - 13:05). Monitor FRS’s website or emails for the exact frequency listings ahead of time.
3. Report your reception
   After you listen, send a reception report (with date, time, frequency, signal strength, etc.). In past years, FRS issued special QSL cards or souvenirs (booklets, CDs) in return for verified reports.
4. Share your experience
   Write about your listening experience (e.g., via our club blog or social media). Share audio clips, screen captures, and photos of your equipment in action. Let’s show how globally active our ABCDXing community is!
5. Archive & preserve
   Save the broadcast (if local reception allows), consider re-broadcasting clips, create thematic compilations, or document in our club newsletter. Future DXers will thank you.

🎉 Looking Ahead: The Legacy and Future

Forty-five years is no small feat for a shortwave free radio station. FRS has weathered regulatory challenges, changing technology, propagation shifts, and changing listener habits — yet it continues to broadcast, evolve, and engage.

For ABCDXing Club and radio hobbyists worldwide, FRS-Holland is not just a station — it’s a living chronicle of amateur commitment, radio lore, and global broadcast culture. Their archive, community ties, and historic continuity make them an institution in the DXing world.

As they themselves say: “Sunday, November 2nd, 2025: FRS-Holland — 45 years of free radio on shortwave. It will be a broadcast not soon to be forgotten.”

Let’s join them, celebrate with them, and keep our antennas tuned.
73 & happy DXing!