Swan Islands, in the 1960's, was
an outpost for the US Central Intelligence Agency for transmitting
clandestine radio broadcasts into Cuba. Radio Amateurs at the outpost used
the prefix KS4. The official ARRL DXCC deleted entities wording for Swan
Island is as follows:
"(KS4) Only contacts made
August 31, 1972, and before, count for this entity.
Contacts made September 1, 1972, and after, count as Honduras (HR)."
Swan Islands will be back on the air as HQ8R in 2008 this prefix has never
been used for this group of islands.
After the outpost was abandoned
in the early 1970s, the island reverted back to Honduras. Below is the story
about Radio Americas/Radio Swan.
"The busiest era for clandestine
broadcasting was the 1960s. In addition to the stations active during the
Vietnam War, China and the USSR operated clandestine broadcasters against
each other as their ideological conflict worsened. For most SWLs in North
America, however, the real excitement involved clandestine broadcasters
directed against Cuba. The most famous of these was Radio Swan/Radio
Americas.
Radio Swan first appeared on
1160 and 6000 kHz in May, 1960. The station claimed to be a commercial
station broadcasting from Swan Islands, an island archipelago in the Gulf of Mexico that
was claimed both by the United States and Honduras. It broadcast entirely in
Spanish, and its programs had a strong anti-Castro slant. Despite being on
what the United States claimed as its territory, the FCC claimed it had no
knowledge of Radio Swan.
Radio Americas solicited
reception reports to a post office box in Miami, and replied with this
colorful QSL card. The location of Swan Islands is indicated by the station's
name in the middle of the card. This card was received by Harry Helms for
reception on 1160 kHz on May 18, 1966. In 1966, the only station on 1160 at
night was KSL in Salt Lake City, and Radio Americas could be well heard east
of the Rockies.
During the ill-fated May, 1961
Bay of Pigs invasion, Radio Swan transmitted coded messages to the invading
forces. This resulted in widespread speculation that the station was
actually a CIA operation. Later in 1961, Radio Swan changed its name to
Radio Americas and remained on the air until it abruptly left the air in
May, 1968.
1971 - The United States eventually
relinquished the islands to Honduran president Ramon Ernesto Cruz.
1980 - The CIA and other covert government
agencies, use the islands as a secret training facility for Nicaraguan
Contras.
1989 - Honduran president Rafael Leonardo
Callejas proclaims the islands a protected wildlife area.
1998 - Hurricane Mitch passes directly
over the islands.
2007 - Swan Islands is a remote Honduran Navy
outpost with 8 soldiers living in the old CIA station buildings.
2008 - Swan Islands will be back on the
air as HQ8R, this prefix has never been used for Swan!
Links about Swan Islands.
This link will take you to the Website of Dr.
Donald Keith, Ph.D. he has done extensive bio marine research on Swan
Islands in the past and has one of the more complete web pages with Swan
Island information.
