PRESENTS

Numbers Stations: The Dark Side of the Dial

by Curt Rowlett

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First publishing, March 2008. © All rights reserved. This article may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express, written permission of the author (Permission to link to this article on the World Wide Web is hereby granted). 

The phenomenon of so-called "numbers stations," mysterious shortwave radio broadcasts that seem to exist only to transmit spoken-word numbers, snippets of weird songs and enigmatic codes, is a genuine mystery. 

Exactly who is broadcasting these transmissions and why is unknown. One theory holds that the transmissions are part of espionage efforts by the intelligence agencies of different countries, another, that they are the work of organized drug smugglers, while still another claims that they are actually communications between extraterrestrial space aliens! (One commentator on an Internet message board even referred to them as “the aural equivalent of crop circles”). 

The espionage theory seems to be the most plausible.  Akin Fernandez, creator of The Conet Project CD, states that, "Shortwave numbers stations are a perfect method of anonymous, one way communication. Spies located anywhere in the world can be communicated to by their masters via small, locally available, and unmodified shortwave receivers. The encryption system used by numbers stations, known as a “one time pad” is unbreakable. Combine this with the fact that it is almost impossible to track down the message recipients once they are inserted into the enemy country, it becomes clear just how powerful the numbers station system is."

While shortwave radio buffs have been aware of them for years, the numbers station phenomenon remains largely unheard of by the general public.  Below are a series of video clips with examples of these strange broadcasts.

Numbers Stations - Dark Side of the Dial: Video featuring a KUTV television news segment with a good overview of the mysterious numbers stations.  Includes parts of an interview with Akin Fernandez of The Conet Project fame. 

Achtung! Gong & Chimes Numbers Station: Video I created featuring an actual audio recording of a bizarre East German numbers station transmission, set against footage from various Cold War propaganda films.  The gongs and chimes heard in the prelude to the numbers transmittal came from a recording that was played prior to each numbers transmission.  This recording - probably from an old and faulty reel-to-reel tape player - occasionally speeds up and slows down, causing an eerie and rather sinister-sounding warping effect.  Strangely, whomever broadcast this particular station never bothered to correct that rather obvious glitch during the many years it was in operation.

Atención! Cuban Numbers Station: Video I created featuring a recent recording of a Cuban numbers station transmission, set against footage shot during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.  At the end of this transmission, the person reading the numbers - likely intended for agents inside the United States - says, "Hello?  Hello?"

Atención! Cuban Numbers Station Add to My Profile | More Videos

Attention! Achtung! Atención!: Video I created featuring an audio recording of the infamous G2 Swedish Rhapsody numbers station transmission.  Of all the recorded numbers broadcasts, I personally find this one to be among the spookiest as it features a traditional glockenspiel tune followed by the voice of a little girl counting off random numbers in German.  Don't listen to it alone and in the dark!

Attention! Achtung! AtenciÃ

References

The Conet Project, by Akin Fernandez

Counting Spies, by David Pescovitz

Secret Signals: The Euro-Numbers Mystery, by Simon Mason

Spy Numbers Stations on Shortwave Radio, by Chris Smolinski

See also: The 1977 Vrillon of the Ashtar Galactic Command Incident and The 1987 Max Headroom Pirating Incident

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