On 27 May 2005 05:47:24 -0700, "Invader3K"
wrote:

WBCQ "The Planet" is based in the US and broadcasts to the US as well
on shortwave.

Yeah, but don't they claim somewhere that their target audience is
Canada or Mexico or such? Wink, wink. Say no more.

Hmm - on their web page they say essentially the Western Hemisphere.
(North and South America and the Carribean)

http://www.rwonline.com/reference-ro...rtwave_2.shtml

[quote]
Second, in the United States, the SW bands are reserved for
international broadcasters.

"When the Voice of America was founded in 1947, it was prohibited from
broadcasting domestically, in order to prevent the government from
propagandizing to its citizens," says Larry Magne, editor in chief of
"Passport to World Band Radio."

"The FCC decided that if this rule applied to the VOA, it should also
apply to domestic shortwave broadcasters as well."

Fuzzy business model

However, according to NASB President and WRMI General Manager Jeff
White, the FCC's restriction has an important loophole.

"The current rules do not say SW stations cannot broadcast to the
U.S.," he said. "They say stations cannot broadcast programs that are
intended exclusively for an audience in the continental United
States."

As a result, U.S. shortwave broadcasters typically target countries
such as Canada and Mexico, with their signals coincidentally
blanketing any U.S. territory that happens to be in the way.

For instance, WRMI's 50 kW North American feed originates from a
Florida-based periodic yagi antenna pointed towards Vancouver at 317
degrees.

"With this heading, we manage to legally cover virtually all of the
continental United States," White said.
[close quote]

Hmm - does that mean that an 800 # heard on a U.S. shortwave station,
especially in an ad, has to accept calls from Canada or maybe from
other countries in the +1 country code such as the Dominican Republic
and Grenada?