Thanks for the good replies. You folks are an interesting bunch.

I haven't posted much to the group, but I'll give you a little background on
me and the "hobby" and then some additional commentary.

Probably like many of you, I started my interest as a young kid, who found
international broacasting interesting from both the news/opinion perspective
and the technology perspective.

An older neighbor, who was a Ham, gave me an old Shortwave receiver that he
wasn't using (It's a Knight - Star Roamer - I still have it and it works
great!) . I also took an interest in "morse code". Eventually, with some
coaxing I ended up getting my Ham Ticket. The StarRoamer helped me practice
copying code and helped me to get my license.

My hobby was somewhat consistent even up through college, and having the
variety of opinion was helpful for a Poli-Sci major.

My favorite shows we

The BBC (when it was less critical of the US and reported more news than
opinion),

Deutsche Welle's "Random Selection" and "Living in Germany" which was
broadcast on Sundays by a guy named Larry Wayne - an American living abroad.
I also liked the European press review.

Radio Netherlands: Media Network

Swiss Radio International: Sunday program with two halarious guys.

For watever reason, the both hobbies tended to get shelved for work and
other interests. I've really just come back into the hobby after about a 5
year hiatus and you can imagine looking for DW and a few other programs to
find nothing (and to hear SRI say that they are not going to be broadcasting
anymore). Not to mention that I purchased a new shortwave radio - a Grundig
Yacht Boy 4000 PE - great radio by the way.

I was hoping to get back into the old shows I enjoyed. Well, like
everything - things change. I just hope I get some good use out of the new
radio.

Well that's my story. Hopefully, a few of you cared to read it. I'm sure
there are a few of you with similiar experiences.

If anyone could point me to an up to date radio guide, I'd appreciate it.
Many online guides are way out of date. I actually began to doubt the YB,
because I couldn't find the stations until I realized that -- I will never
find those stations - again! LOL!

73's

Christian

| On Mon, 15 Nov 2004 20:59:54 GMT, "G.T. Tyson" wrote:
|
|
|
| I think the reason why many international broadcasters are phasing out
| their shortwave services is because they are catching on to the fact
| that very few members of the public, aside from radio hobbyists, are
| listening.

Then how would you explain the fact that Sony and Sangean are reporting
record sales of portables?

J/W

73,

Steve Lawrence
KAØPMD
Burnsville, Minnesota

"If a man wants his dreams to come true then he must wake up."
- Anonymous


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In article ,
bug wrote:
On 15 Nov 2004 06:27:01 GMT, (Stereophile22)
wrote:

Like the BBC, DW management thinks SW is out of
date and is concentrating on the internet and satellite.

And that's their big mistake.

I know a lot of people who would not pay for a computer, internet access, or
satellite radio, even if they can afford it.

Actually, I think it's rather elitist for these shortwave stations to
take a switch-to-the-internet-and-they-will-come attitude.

Sure, I can afford a broadband internet connection, but many can't
even afford a dial-up connection.

There has to be some common ground between shortwave broadcasting and
internet streaming.

Hey, think about it in the frame of mind of a back stabbing organization
climber (back some years ago in the middle of the dot.com boom).

Which has the greater possibilites for promotion, a "new media dot.com
powerhouse broadcaster" or a staid traditional international broadcaster?

Why, the dot.com of course, (the new future!), now lets go out and spend
megabucks on those servers that will drain the budget and be an albatross
around the organization's neck for decades to come. A whole new nexus
of power in the organization, a giant vacuum to suck up ...

Mark Zenier Washington State resident

Stephen M.H. Lawrence wrote:
| On Mon, 15 Nov 2004 20:59:54 GMT, "G.T. Tyson" wrote:
|
|
|
| I think the reason why many international broadcasters are phasing out
| their shortwave services is because they are catching on to the fact
| that very few members of the public, aside from radio hobbyists, are
| listening.

Then how would you explain the fact that Sony and Sangean are reporting
record sales of portables?

J/W

73,


How many of those are being sold in the USA?

gtt

Stephen M.H. Lawrence wrote:

| On Mon, 15 Nov 2004 20:59:54 GMT, "G.T. Tyson" wrote:
|
|
|
| I think the reason why many international broadcasters are phasing out
| their shortwave services is because they are catching on to the fact
| that very few members of the public, aside from radio hobbyists, are
| listening.

Then how would you explain the fact that Sony and Sangean are reporting
record sales of portables?

The same Sony that's getting out of the shortwave radio market entirely?
The same Sangean that hasn't introduced a new model in years, and got
hit bad when RS decided not to sell SW radios any longer? However, I've
read that shortwave is hugely popular in Asia, which is why obscure
Chinese electronics makers have come out of the woodwork offering small
portable SW radios. Other than that, I'd like to see proof that there
are "record sales of portables" in the Western world.




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tommyknocker wrote:

Stephen M.H. Lawrence wrote:

| On Mon, 15 Nov 2004 20:59:54 GMT, "G.T. Tyson" wrote:
|
|
|
| I think the reason why many international broadcasters are phasing out
| their shortwave services is because they are catching on to the fact
| that very few members of the public, aside from radio hobbyists, are
| listening.

Then how would you explain the fact that Sony and Sangean are reporting
record sales of portables?

The same Sony that's getting out of the shortwave radio market entirely?
The same Sangean that hasn't introduced a new model in years, and got
hit bad when RS decided not to sell SW radios any longer? However, I've
read that shortwave is hugely popular in Asia, which is why obscure
Chinese electronics makers have come out of the woodwork offering small
portable SW radios. Other than that, I'd like to see proof that there
are "record sales of portables" in the Western world.

I haven't been following this entire thread, but I wonder what the definition of a
'portable' is. SW included, or not?

dxAce
Michigan
USA

In article , dxAce
wrote:

tommyknocker wrote:

Stephen M.H. Lawrence wrote:

| On Mon, 15 Nov 2004 20:59:54 GMT, "G.T. Tyson" wrote:
|
|
|
| I think the reason why many international broadcasters are
| phasing out
| their shortwave services is because they are catching on to
| the fact that very few members of the public, aside from radio
| hobbyists, are listening.

Then how would you explain the fact that Sony and Sangean are
reporting record sales of portables?

The same Sony that's getting out of the shortwave radio market
entirely? The same Sangean that hasn't introduced a new model in
years, and got hit bad when RS decided not to sell SW radios any
longer? However, I've read that shortwave is hugely popular in
Asia, which is why obscure Chinese electronics makers have come out
of the woodwork offering small portable SW radios. Other than that,
I'd like to see proof that there are "record sales of portables" in
the Western world.

I haven't been following this entire thread, but I wonder what the
definition of a 'portable' is. SW included, or not?

Here is mine:

1. Easily carried with one hand so the other hand can operate it pushing
buttons and turning knobs.

2. Self contained operation - has built in antenna and batteries so it
actually functions as it is carried around for some useful period of
time.

--
Telamon
Ventura, California

It's on Sirius satellite channel 115.

On Mon, 15 Nov 2004 12:07:39 GMT, "Frank Dresser"
wrote:


"Lance Storm" wrote in message
news:0sLld.96248$R05.40249@attbi_s53...
Why did Radio Deutsche Welle stop transmitting on SW in English?

The easy answer is they stopped broadcasting in English to save money.

International broadcasting is a form of public diplomacy. Whether
international broadcasting from one first world country to another actually
works as public diplomacy is an important question. I don't think it makes
much difference. Certainly few Americans listen to SW radio. I can't think
of any US election in which international broadcasting played any role. I
don't remember any significant public pressure put on Congress by SWLs.

I can't blame the Germans, or anyone else, if they want to spend their
limited resources somewhere else.

There is still DW English programming in the US. The local college public
TV station runs some DW programming, and it may be also available on
college/public radio stations.


Two weeks ago, I heard that Swiss Radio International was going to do the
same.

What will become of the shorwave bands?


They will become more interesting. There will be a higher percentage of the
hidden knowledge crowd, evangelists and pirates.

Frank Dresser

Very well said Michael. :-)



On Mon, 15 Nov 2004 11:08:01 -0500, "Michael Lawson"
wrote:


"Steve" wrote in message
. com...

I'll tell everybody what I honestly see happening to shortwave.
There
will be 4-5 Big Boys, major stations that broadcast in every major
language and can be heard almost anywhere, like Radio China and
Radio
Netherlands. Then there will be a zillion Little Guys, small
regional
stations that broadcast only to a relatively local audience and
almost

Another good response thanks.

I am currently trying to convince myself that I need to pay nearly a
thousand dollars to buy a WinRadio G313I.

I love surprised and like you all it is fun to hunker down and just
turn the tuner, or push the button to seek stations not knowing what
you will find from day to day.

I love listening to the viewpoints of people from all over the world
because I have traveled a lot and lived in many different countries,
and states. I know for a fact that ALL humans are the same on the
inside.

If you are in a crowded movie theater and someone yells fire, everyone
who understands English is going to run for the door, no matter what
their skin color, or ethnic group, or religion. So I don't believe
most of what America has to say about countries we call "Foreign" So I
like listening to ChannelAfrica four or five hours a day to hear what
they are doing. China is interesting, and so it Belgium, and the
Netherlands.

The problem is I can't get Channel Africa on my shortwave here in the
Midwest of the USA. At that point, I turn to their home page on the
Internet which I am listening to right now. I can hear African news as
explained by an African; not an American, or an African lackey. Also
during the daytime I receive very little of anything other than these
Short wave preachers and other hate groups spewing out their garbage
all day.

So I use the Internet during the day. I can listen to Radio New
Zealand, Australia, Thailand, Vietnam, and many other places clear as
a bell all day long in many cases.

It is very hard for me to think about spending so much money for a PC
radio when I can hear everything perfectly on Webcast.

So I am happy that I have both options available. I don't know much
about satellite yet. I haven't signed up for any of those satellite
radio services like sirus, or what its name.

When I drive across country, I prefer to listen to the small local AM
and FM stations in the areas that I'm driving through instead of
listening to Rush Limbaugh, or Howard Stern for two thousand miles.

Peace

On Mon, 15 Nov 2004 20:59:54 GMT, "G.T. Tyson"
wrote:



I think the reason why many international broadcasters are phasing out
their shortwave services is because they are catching on to the fact
that very few members of the public, aside from radio hobbyists, are
listening. It simply doesn't make financial sense for the governments
of these countries to continue pumping mega-money into these facilities
just so a radio hobbyist overseas can add another entry into their
logbooks. Most DX'ers could care less about the actual program content.
For them the fun is in capturing an elusive signal.
I realize there are still many places in the world that rely on SW due
to remote locations, local regulations, etc. Those places are the ones
the government SW broadcasters should focus on. In most urban areas in
most countries, local FM dominates the listening habits of the general
public. Here in the USA, in my neck of the woods, hardly anyone
listens to MW/AM any more. I remember a friend of mine being absolutely
astounded that my car radio could pick up WCBS-AM 880 in NYC. She
thought I had some kind of special supercharged radio. I would have
shown her how to get the BBC and really impressed her if I'd had my
shortwave reciever with me. But the BBC World Service is available on
local FM here, in stereo with no atmospheric interference, so why bother?
Like it or not, international shortwave broadcasting is slowly going
the way of the LP vinyl record. It is much more cost-effective to beam
programming overseas via satellite then rebroadcast it on local FM.
As broadband internet becomes more widely deployed, look for it to
become another similar medium.
Before you get out your flamethrowers, I want to state for the record
that I am an SW listener and I much prefer to use radios that glow in
the dark and get warm. But unfortunately we are in the minority there.
Watch for more international megawatt broadcasters to shut down as
this trend continues.

GTTyson