# Medieval radio stations **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 12, 2022, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-radio-stations/964326 "2022-05-12T13:21:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Limmin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Limmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limmin)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2022, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-radio-stations/964326/21 "2022-05-15T11:39:49Z")
Medieval…radio… OK this reminds me of a book by Harry Harrison, the second in the Deathworld series. (Bear with me.) The general scene is a galaxy in which high-tech humans have spread out and colonized various planets, spaceships, space suits, etc. Our hero Jason is somehow stranded on what is basically a Medieval planet, in which humans have forgotten their technology and political advancements and were under the thumb of feudalism. He uses his knowledge to (IIRC) build a Leyden jar, to demonstrate his “magical powers” by zapping “unbelievers.” He allies with a local feudal lord “Hertug” and builds a prayer-wheel type device that outputs a series of zaps and pops that spell out “Hooray for Hertug” but to our ears would be an SOS. Any passing ships might pick up on that crude radio signal. The local serfs are set to work, cranking on that thing 24/7. Eventually he is rescued by his GF, who was flying in a spaceship nearby, looking for him and picked up on the signal. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2022, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-radio-stations/964326/22 "2022-05-24T17:08:35Z")
Those of you who took grade-school Latin may remember **Forum Romanum** : [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/2wge0TWGtm4/hqdefault.jpg "Forum Romanum: S3 Aedes Apollinis") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wge0TWGtm4) ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2022, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-radio-stations/964326/23 "2022-05-24T17:20:43Z")
Rush Limbaugh, pretty much the same. “Joan of Arc’s trouble is that men won’t date her. And how about those Guelph-wing radicals?” ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2022, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-radio-stations/964326/24 "2022-05-24T17:36:25Z")
Most frequently requested tune: “Ye Brought A New Kind of Love to Me” (and so ye shall burn at the stake). ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2022, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-radio-stations/964326/25 "2022-05-25T15:21:54Z")
I would have guessed that the Church, specifically local bishops and archbishops would have a lot of the stations and doing lots of religious programming. I’d even go so far as to think they’d do their absolute best to monopolize the technology. In a mostly pre-literate age, something like radio would be a HUGE tool for manipulating the masses and even the nobility. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2022, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-radio-stations/964326/26 "2022-05-25T19:24:42Z")
“It be-eth four of the clock and all is well.” ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2022, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-radio-stations/964326/27 "2022-05-25T20:55:04Z")
“Hail fellow, th’art on Cart Talk!” ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2022, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-radio-stations/964326/28 "2022-05-26T13:02:54Z")
Well, if the King does any of those things, we’ll ask about it on “Wait, Wait, Don’t Behead Me!” ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2022, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-radio-stations/964326/29 "2022-05-26T23:45:09Z")
“Greetings villeins, and welcome to Trade and Barter Time. Peter over in Coddlesthorpe has a nice fat sheep, slightly lame in the left foreleg, which he will exchange for a hogshead of ale or other congenial spirit. And Agnes of Arundel is offering what she calls “a good tyme” for tuppence, or best offer. We’ll be back with more after this exhortation from the lord of the manor.” ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2022, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-radio-stations/964326/30 "2022-05-26T23:58:16Z")
“At the gong, it will be half past Compline. My lords, do you know where _your_ housecarls are?” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-radio-stations/964326.md?page=1)