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"Wavescan" is a weekly program for long distance radio hobbyists produced by Dr. Adrian M. Peterson, Coordinator of International Relations for Adventist World Radio. AWR carries the program over many of its stations (including shortwave). Adrian Peterson is a highly regarded DXer and radio historian, and often includes features on radio history in his program. We are reproducing those features below, with Dr. Peterson's permission and assistance.
Wavescan 443, June 29, 2003
Pineapple Network
A radio network called the "Pineapple Network"?
Where ever could that be located? If you guessed "Hawaii"
as your answer, then that would be correct. But, what is
known about this unique radio network that was on the air in the
middle of last century.
Actually, very little is known about the Pineapple Network, and even this information lay quietly at rest until New Zealander David Ricquish made a visit to old time DXer Ray Crawford in Brisbane, Queensland. As they were reminiscing about the past, they came across a reference to the Pineapple Network in the old radio club magazine "Skyrider" in the issue dated for January and February 1948.
In this brief reference about the Pineapple Network, mention is made of two mediumwave stations in Hawaii operated by AFRS, the American Forces Radio Service. Station WVTZ is listed in Hawaii on 1300 kHz, and another station is listed on the island of Oahu on 1260 kHz.
Research into other radio magazines and publications of that
era indicate that there was indeed a network of AFRS mediumwave
stations in Hawaii for a few years beginning in mid 1945.
The key station was WVTZ, which was operated by the Marine Corps
at Ewa on the capital city island of Oahua. This station
operated on 1360 kHz, though this channel was changed later to
1300 kHz.
Other AFRS stations in the area that relayed the main programming
from WVTZ were listed on six other mediumwave frequencies.
All seven of these stations carried the same WVTZ programming
and they were all located on the same island, Oahu.
Several of these low powered AFRS stations in Hawaii were heard in the United States, New Zealand and Australia, including the one on 1350 kHz which identified on air simply as "Station B."
During the years just before and just after the end of the
Pacific War, all of the AFRS stations in the Central Pacific were
loosely designated as the "Pacific Ocean Network." The
two other AFRS networks in the Pacific at the time were designated
as the "Mosquito Network" and the "Jungle Network."
There is no other known reference to the "Pineapple Network,"
though it is quite clear that this network was in Hawaii and that
station WVTZ was the key station for this network. It would
be suggested then that the term "Pineapple Network"
was either an official or unofficial designation for the AFRS
stations of the Pacific Ocean Network that were located in Hawaii.
It should be mentioned also that AFRS programming was heard on shortwave from two other stations in Hawaii during the same era. The Voice of America transmitters, KRHO and KRHK, regularly carried AFRS programming. In addition, the Army Signal Corps transmitters, WTV and WTJ, were also noted with relays of AFRS programming to the Jungle and Mosquito Networks.