Radio listening generally is disappearing in our time as more and more global
broadcasters distribute more and better signals via
podcast, streaming and other internet sources, as well as providing feeds to
television and radio without static by using FM broadcasting
Most of the attention that went to radio services is now directed toward Web
sites and international television stations
Fewer and fewer listen via shortwave. The notable exceptions are in those
countries with highly censored media , or those in conflict states.
Then the world news is important and Short Wave remains a standby.
This example makes the point. The tools are changing.
A 2009 survey shows that of Cambodians who listen to VOA Khmer, 63 percent
do so via FM affiliates in the country, 31 percent via the medium-wave relay
from Thailand, and only 6 percent via shortwave
Passport to World Band Radio, the annual shortwave radio tuning guide that
thrived for 25 years suspended publication in 2009.
It is easy to blame the Internet and international satellite television for the
decline in shortwave radio listenership. But shortwave was in trouble before
these new media took hold. Shortwave audiences have been in decline since
1989.
After the BBC ended its North American broadcasts in 2001, other broadcasters
followed suit. The result is that North Americans don’t get much in the way of
shortwave programming these days. Spectrum that once carried international
news and programming is now host to U.S. fundamentalist religious stations.
-------- A change in Who *Can* Listen --------------
For all its transmission expense and audio problems, analog shortwave radio
has one clear advantage over the Internet and domestic radio/TV: It cannot be
easily blocked - even when states try to disrupt its signals using jamming trans
mitters.
Webcasts can be filtered or blocked through IP geolocation techniques that
block access to sites based upon the IP address of the site or the user.
There are several countries in this category, but China is the main one.
Also notable:
Bahrain Belarus Burma China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau)
Cuba Iran North Korea Saudi Arabia Syria Turkmenistan Uzbekistan
Vietnam
-------- The Last Man Standing.. BBC Switches Formats ----------
The BBC attracts a record weekly global audience of 241 million people to its
international news services like BBC World Service and the BBC World News
television channel, according to independent surveys. This is up three million
on last year's overall audience estimate.
However, the multimedia BBC World Service lost 20 million short wave radio
listeners during the year; reflecting the increasing global decline of the medium.
But during the year BBC World Service attracted around nine million new
viewers to its television, online and mobile services; in addition to new
listeners to BBC radio programmes through local FM and medium wave radio
partner stations in a number of countries.
===============
BBC World Service continued to have strong impact in Afghanistan, where BBC
audiences are 10 million; and in Iraq where the BBC reaches 4.5 million people
each week. In Burma, the BBC now reaches 8.5 million listeners, up 1.4 million
on the last survey. [not necessarily by short wave either]
================
BBC World News has a weekly audience of 71 million.
The news, weather and sport sections of the BBC's international commercial
site, bbc.com, increased to more than 17.2 million unique users every week.
It also attracted more than 1.1million unique users in February 2010 accessing
mobile news, weather and sport content from BBC Global News every week. By
April, this had increased to 1.5 million unique users every week. There has
been an increase of 120% in page impressions in the last year. Mobile traffic to
news pages alone on the bbc.com mobile site increased tenfold.
====== Radio Nederlands Era Ends ==========
It is exactly 65 years ago that Radio Netherlands Worldwide began its activities
as an international broadcaster.
On 15 April 1947, RNW was set up by the Dutch government. The new
foundation was charged with “putting together and preparing radio programm
es to be received outside the borders of the Netherlands” and began
broadcasting in Dutch, Indonesian, English and Spanish.
1990 - today
In 1991, RNW became the first organisation in the Netherlands granted a
licence to broadcast programmes directly by satellite for radio stations in Latin
America, which relayed the signal locally.
This was followed in 1992 by collaboration with local radio stations in
Latin America. In 1994, RNW began working together with domestic
broadcasters on the exchange and co-production of programmes. An RNW
office was opened in West Africa in 1995 to serve listeners in the region via
local radio stations.
RNW provided independent information and background reports in
countries where press freedom is not a matter of course. This means that
millions of people around the world with little or no access to information can
enjoy reliable and impartial reporting. News about their own country and their
own situation, as well as international news from a Dutch perspective.
RNW operated in ten languages (Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, English, French,
Indonesian, Papiamento, Portuguese, Sarnami and Spanish) on short wave,
satellite, internet Facebook, Twitter, Apps and partner stations all over the
world.
RNW will no longer be broadcasting to Dutch expatriates. The Dutch radio
service will hold a 24-hour marathon broadcast on 10/11 May to mark the end
of its 65 years of service.
Other services will be affected too - plans are still to be finalised, but Radio
Netherlands Worldwide will cease to operate in a number of languages and
other services, including this website, will be adapted to meet the new focus of
promoting free speech.
All these changes have been forced on RNW by the Dutch government’s
decision to slash the budget by 70 percent with effect from 1 January 2013. The
budget will come from the Foreign Ministry rather than the Ministry of
Education and Culture as at present. The editorial independence of RNW will
remain sacrosanct.
The State We're In, 27 October 2012 last broadcast.
Past and present members of TSWI join Jonathan to talk about their favourite all-time interviews
and how they capture something essential about the show’s spirit.
Latest: programme list published
The State We're In, 27 October 2012 last broadcast.
Past and present members of TSWI join Jonathan to talk about their favourite all-time interviews
and how they capture something essential about the show’s spirit.
We're very sorry to inform you that the English service of Radio Netherlands Worldwide closed on Friday, 29 June 2012. As a result, this website will see some changes.
From 1 July 2012 there will no longer be a daily review of the Dutch papers. Our coverage of Dutch news stories will also cease. And, since RNW's English webstream ended on 29 June, there will be no moreListening Guide.
However, we will continue to provide articles online relating to our new brief: promoting free speech in areas where people are not free to gather information or to form and express independent opinions.
Latest: programme list published
Detailed programme listing of our final day as a broadcaster, 29 June 2012
Why?
The measures are a result of steep budget cuts imposed by the Dutch government and a concomitant change in focus. Providing the world with a realistic image of the Netherlands, as we have proudly done since 1947, will no longer be one of our statutory duties.
The measures are a result of steep budget cuts imposed by the Dutch government and a concomitant change in focus. Providing the world with a realistic image of the Netherlands, as we have proudly done since 1947, will no longer be one of our statutory duties.
------ The Death of Radio Canada International --------
On February 25, 1945, a new international broadcast service made its debut on
the world scene. ... W. L. Mackenzie King welcomed the world to a new
shortwave service dedicated to projecting a Canadian view of life and events.
CBC International Service, is now known as Radio Canada International.
Radio Canada International produced and broadcast a variety of daily and
weekly programs, newscasts and web content, in one or more of seven
languages: English, French, Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, Arabic, and
Portuguese.
Key partners : Radio Netherlands Worldwide Radio Sweden Swissinfo Radio
Australia NHK World
By International agreement RCI broadcast on the following frequencies and in
7 languages:
6110 9525 11730 15180 15325 15455 13370 13760 17735 17860
------- Budget Cuts by Conservative Government -------
Radio Canada International’s $12.2 million dollar budget will be slashed by 10 m
illion, leaving only $2.2 million. [Revised April 5: $12.3 and $2.3 million]
Two thirds of staff will be eliminated, leaving maybe 16, 20 perhaps 25 people.
Newscasts and newsrooms will be eliminated.
Shortwave broadcasting will be dropped, RCI will now be limited to the web
site.
The Russian service and the Brazilian program eliminated.
RCI will no longer be a radio broadcaster, whether on shortwave or satellite
Chinese audience will be cut off from uncensored news from RCI because only
shortwave reaches the Chinese, the RCI website is blocked by China
With the layoffs, Canada will lose people with decades of expertise at
representing Canada around the world
=====================
Radio Canada International (RCI) is the international broadcasting service of theCanadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Until 1970, it was known as the CBC International Service and was sometimes referred to as the "Voice of Canada" in its early years. In June 2012, shortwave services were terminated and RCI became accessible only via the internet. In addition, CBC plans to end production of RCI news and broadcasts.
----------- Throwing out the Baby with the Bathwater ------------
RCI’s famed Sackville, New Brunwick shortwave transmission farm, which is
shared with international broadcasters such as Radio Japan and China Radio
International, will be abandoned as part of the budget cuts. Opened in 1938,
the Sackville site is home to a wide range of high-powered AM transmitters
and large outdoor antennas. It has long been considered one of the best sites
for reaching North American audiences via shortwave.
------------ Where is this going in the future? -------------
Better read this online: The Iridium Syndrome..
The name comes from the low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite system that Motorola
developed for global voice communications in the 1990s and the system's
notorious demise in 1999, after the investment of more than $5 billion.
" the real threat to radio's future may come from a multitude of small,
independent webcasters instead."
------------- Will the voice of Local Programming Die Too? -----------
The author is general manager of KKAY, an AM station in Baton Rouge, La.
The only station to give full coverage to Hurricane Katherine:
The corporate giants are pushing for more ownership of stations, which would
diminish local radio further. We recently had some bad weather in our area.
Out of the 25+ stations in our market only one was on top of the weather
situation; we were. The others were too busy cutting costs with satellite
programming. I found that even at 67 watts, we had some people who heard
our broadcasts about the weather. This is the tragedy and life-threatening
situation the FCC has created and continues to ignore.
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