Yes, but libraries today lend videos and provides internet access.

On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 18:08:06 GMT, "Frank Dresser"
wrote:


"David" wrote in message
.. .
I was talking about where I live.

I really don't see any sophisticated world power advancing their
culture via an 80 year old low-fi platform listened to almost
exclusively by expatriates and gruff hobbyists, in a country with
100,000,000 internet users and 400 channel cable and satellite
systems, not to mention XM and Sirius.


I heard a guest on a radio program advocating a greater role for US public
diplomacy. As an example, he praised a program which set up public
libraries in various countries. That's pretty old technology!

I don't know if there's any value in for another first world broadcaster to
broadcast to the US. Consider Radio Exterior Espana. The Spanish
government made the effort to become a first line broadcaster for a few
years. Then, it really diminished a couple of years ago. I guess REE is
still around, but it's not nearly the same. Did it make any difference?
Did anyone think more or less of Spain when their SW service was high or low
profile? Did it have the slightest effect on tourism? Exports? I suppose
somebody could ask the people in the Spanish government who make these
decisions. Or we could see that the decision speaks for itself.

However, thousands of FM transmitters have been installed in third world
countries over the last 20 years. Buying time on these stations is an
attractive alternative to SW, for the countries which still are interested
in radio broadcasting.

Frank Dresser