He travels above the Arctic Circle every year to listen to KSAL on his radio.

With modern technology – Hannu Niileksela of Helsinki, Finland could simply find KSAL on the internet anytime at his home. But tuning into AM radio stations broadcasting in North America has been a passion of Hannu’s now for more than fifty years.

“I am an enthusiast for distant AM radio reception. I have had this hobby for more than 50 years. I´m turning 72 this coming January, but I am still as “hot” as ever with this,” he said.

Hannu joined in on the KSAL Morning News Extra on Wednesday to explain why he travels hundreds of miles north of Helsinki to listen to radio stations that are broadcasting some 5,000 miles from his location. He says a group of his friends have converted an old building on a reindeer farm to use as their listening post.

Science reveals that Hannu is taking advantage of night time conditions and the ability of radio waves to skip off the ionosphere some 50-to-150-miles above the earth and travel thousand of miles to receivers around the globe.

Hannu added, “Back in 1973 I had my first reception of KSAL-1150 AM over here across the Atlantic and KSAL has ever since been almost a yearly guest in my earphones.”

Listen to the full interview here: