John Smith wrote:
You are not aware that there are SDR's which can be controlled by
computer, as well as be stand alone?

Yes, but your are IMHO mixing up two types of listeners. The listeners that
the stations are not trying to reach are afluent, have a computer, probably
have a TV, some sort of video player (DVD, Blu-Ray,VCR, PVR, or streamer),
an internet connection and so on.

Those are the kind that would gladly buy an SDR because they like the toy
aspect and want to listen to SWBC as a hobby.

On the other side of the equation are what I think is almost all of their
audience, people who do not have computers, can not afford more than a cheap
radio, and will never have an internet connection until it is free or close to
it.

The proof is where do the SWBC stations aim their signal? Not at North America,
not at the EU, etc, but at poor parts of the world, North and Central Africa,
Western Asia (middle east and India) and Eastern Asia (China, North Korea,
Indonesia, and so on).

This is no duplication of processor, memory, keyboard, display, etc because
these people don't have them.

An SDR radio is fine if you can make one for a few dollars that will stand
a great deal of abuse and use very little power. As an add on for a computer,
they will only sell in the richer countries or the more affluent cites, where
there are lots of other sources of information and the SWBC stations are
not aiming at.

Geoff.

--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson N3OWJ/4X1GM
To help restaurants, as part of the "stimulus package", everyone must order
dessert. As part of the socialized health plan, you are forbidden to eat it. :-)