Radio Oltrepop Pavese comes from a long and distant history. It was officially founded in 1990 in Broni, in the Oltrepò Pavese area, Italy, as an experimental FM radio station. The FM adventure lasted only a few months: just a few audio tests to check the signal, using a very old transmitter received as a gift from a friend and a homemade antenna tuned to the right frequency. The signal partially covered the town of Broni, but those were only short tests. When the Mammì law came into force, we decided to completely stop FM broadcasting. This name has a strong historical connection to Italian radio. How could we not remember Radio Oltrepò of Santa Giuletta, which broadcast in FM during the 1970s from the local castle? We felt this was a name that still deserved recognition and should be used again for a new radio adventure rooted in Italy. With all our hopes, passion, and a touch of playful spirit, between 2003 and 2004 we decided to begin a new journey: a web radio broadcasting exclusively online, keeping our original spirit alive—cheerful, passionate, and a bit irreverent. Just like in the 1970s, when radio stations were born out of passion, bringing people together, often starting as a hobby and later becoming a real profession for many radio speakers. So, between 2003 and 2004, Radio Oltrepop Pavese was officially reborn as a web radio. At that time, creating a web radio was truly difficult due to the technological limitations of the era. Streaming was complex and mostly accessible only to large broadcasters. Smaller projects relied on free online tools. For this reason, in 1994 Radio Oltrepop Pavese began its first short audio streaming tests. The internet back then was very different from today: no fiber optics, no high-speed connections. We used a simple 56K modem connected directly to the telephone line of the legendary SIP in Italy. Who remembers SIP? And who remembers that cable running all over the house? In this context, Radio Oltrepop Pavese was born, using free streaming services like Shoutcast and the iconic Winamp player, which included a plugin specifically for live streaming. In theory, anyone could broadcast. Of course, the reality was different: 56K modems were extremely slow, and connections often dropped since they relied on home phone lines. Despite everything, we started broadcasting short audio tests, with very low quality, reaching at most three or four listeners at the same time. On the Shoutcast directory, all web radios were listed, including well-known stations beginning their online journey. And we, quietly, started broadcasting our music from Broni, Italy. We were few… very few… but we were there. Our three or four listeners were always present. We broadcast at a quality that, for that time, could be considered remarkable: while some streamed at 5 kbps or 12 kbps, we reached 24 kbps to connect with as many listeners as possible. The sound quality was similar to a phone call, but people still tuned in—from Italy and even from abroad. Soon, the first confirmation emails arrived. Listeners wrote to us, sharing their thoughts and experiences. Some remembered Sigma Radio Oltrepò and contacted us, recalling the golden era of radio in our region. Messages also came from abroad. Over time, we received a steady and meaningful number of listener confirmations. As the years went by, technology evolved. Paid services appeared, along with dedicated servers and cloud-based broadcasting systems with fully automated studios. Step by step, our radio continued its journey in the vast world of web radio. Today, we remain a well-established presence in the Oltrepò Pavese area, Italy. We offer high-quality music, often from the public domain and independent artists, not tied to SIAE, SCF, or major record labels. This allows us to provide true musical diversity and a unique, authentic voice within the ever-growing world of web radio. The journey toward the future is always open. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring. We live in the present. And today we can proudly say: Radio Oltrepop Pavese is always with you.

Andy.