SW more popular than we think!
 

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Sales of shortwave radios surge after terror attacks of Sept. 11

Eric Brazil, Chronicle Staff Writer
Thursday, October 4, 2001



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The global trauma caused by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks has spiked demand
for shortwave radio service, much as it did during the 1991 Gulf War.

Although broadcasters are shifting to the Internet in nations with mature
communications systems and downloading programs to FM stations via
satellite, "shortwave is the old workhorse and warhorse," said Voice of
American spokesman Joe O'Connell.

It is also a powerful propaganda tool, one that the United States has
employed since 1951, beginning with Radio Free Europe and including Radio
Marti, Radio Free Asia and, in 1980-89, Radio Free Afghanistan.

As a practical matter, said Paul Goble, communications director for Radio
Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Afghanistan "doesn't have a lot of AM and FM
radios.

It's a shortwave society."

Both the Voice of America and the BBC have substantially expanded their
Pashtu and Dari language broadcasts to Afghanistan in the past three weeks.
They are virtually the only radio competition for the Taliban's Radio
Shariat ("Islamic Law").

A column in the New York Times on Sept. 20 by William Safire ("Equal Time
for Hitler?") has triggered internal debate in the Voice of America and
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on the advisability of reactivating Radio
Free Afghanistan.

"Some of us feel that full, complete, balanced news service vexes dictators
more than anything else," said Kim Andrew Elliott, producer of VOA's weekly
"Communications World" media program.

VOA's Board of Governors has not yet addressed the issue.

Shortwave radio utilizes a radio wave shorter than that used in AM
broadcasting and is employed for long-distance transmission.

And while it is regarded as an out-of-date, almost anachronistic means of
communication in highly developed areas of the world, it is crucial for both
VOA and the BBC.

"We will be heavily dependent on shortwave for many years to come," said
Michael Gardner of BBC World Services, which is investing $75 million to
expand its services in the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia.

BBC, which broadcasts in 43 languages, says it reaches an audience of 153
million worldwide. VOA broadcasts in 53 languages to an audience estimated
at 93 million.

BBC has a reputation for adhering to a balanced presentation of the news.
"We are an incredible trusted source of news in that (Afghanistan) region,"
Gardner said. "Seventy-three percent of the Pashtu and 26 percent of the
Persian speakers listen to our broadcasts."

In the United States, where the BBC is readily accessible -- Bay Area
residents can hear BBC broadcasts on KALW and KQED -- the number of regular
users has been in decline, so much so that the BBC curtailed its North
American shortwave broadcasts in July.

Larry Nebron of San Francisco, a shortwave enthusiast for 35 years, said,
"The Web is my principal source of news. I have no reason to use shortwave,
but I can listen to it when I want to."

Nevertheless, U.S. and Canadian sales of shortwave radios are up.

"Interest in shortwave does seem to be disaster driven," said John Figliosi
of Albany, N.Y., a writer and member of the Association of North American
Radio clubs. "There's a certain amount of romance in it . . . You can read
(news) on the Internet, but there's something about listening to that
distant force talking to you on the airways, fading in and out, that gives
you a feeling of immediacy."

Bob Grove, publisher of Monitoring Times, a Brasstown, N.C., publication
that tracks shortwave industry news and is a re-seller of shortwave
equipment, said that "sales have approximately doubled on shortwave in the
past two weeks. "

An analog shortwave radio can be purchased for as little as $29, but digital
models with far greater capability are available in the $99 to $150 range.

E-mail Eric Brazil at .

That article is 2 going on 3 years old.

I listened to the BBC 9-11 coverage on XM from 18 Sept 2001 on.

On Mon, 5 Apr 2004 18:43:10 -0500, "Brian Hill"
wrote:




----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----

Sales of shortwave radios surge after terror attacks of Sept. 11

Eric Brazil, Chronicle Staff Writer
Thursday, October 4, 2001



----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----



The global trauma caused by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks has spiked demand
for shortwave radio service, much as it did during the 1991 Gulf War.

Although broadcasters are shifting to the Internet in nations with mature
communications systems and downloading programs to FM stations via
satellite, "shortwave is the old workhorse and warhorse," said Voice of
American spokesman Joe O'Connell.

It is also a powerful propaganda tool, one that the United States has
employed since 1951, beginning with Radio Free Europe and including Radio
Marti, Radio Free Asia and, in 1980-89, Radio Free Afghanistan.

As a practical matter, said Paul Goble, communications director for Radio
Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Afghanistan "doesn't have a lot of AM and FM
radios.

It's a shortwave society."

Both the Voice of America and the BBC have substantially expanded their
Pashtu and Dari language broadcasts to Afghanistan in the past three weeks.
They are virtually the only radio competition for the Taliban's Radio
Shariat ("Islamic Law").

A column in the New York Times on Sept. 20 by William Safire ("Equal Time
for Hitler?") has triggered internal debate in the Voice of America and
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on the advisability of reactivating Radio
Free Afghanistan.

"Some of us feel that full, complete, balanced news service vexes dictators
more than anything else," said Kim Andrew Elliott, producer of VOA's weekly
"Communications World" media program.

VOA's Board of Governors has not yet addressed the issue.

Shortwave radio utilizes a radio wave shorter than that used in AM
broadcasting and is employed for long-distance transmission.

And while it is regarded as an out-of-date, almost anachronistic means of
communication in highly developed areas of the world, it is crucial for both
VOA and the BBC.

"We will be heavily dependent on shortwave for many years to come," said
Michael Gardner of BBC World Services, which is investing $75 million to
expand its services in the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia.

BBC, which broadcasts in 43 languages, says it reaches an audience of 153
million worldwide. VOA broadcasts in 53 languages to an audience estimated
at 93 million.

BBC has a reputation for adhering to a balanced presentation of the news.
"We are an incredible trusted source of news in that (Afghanistan) region,"
Gardner said. "Seventy-three percent of the Pashtu and 26 percent of the
Persian speakers listen to our broadcasts."

In the United States, where the BBC is readily accessible -- Bay Area
residents can hear BBC broadcasts on KALW and KQED -- the number of regular
users has been in decline, so much so that the BBC curtailed its North
American shortwave broadcasts in July.

Larry Nebron of San Francisco, a shortwave enthusiast for 35 years, said,
"The Web is my principal source of news. I have no reason to use shortwave,
but I can listen to it when I want to."

Nevertheless, U.S. and Canadian sales of shortwave radios are up.

"Interest in shortwave does seem to be disaster driven," said John Figliosi
of Albany, N.Y., a writer and member of the Association of North American
Radio clubs. "There's a certain amount of romance in it . . . You can read
(news) on the Internet, but there's something about listening to that
distant force talking to you on the airways, fading in and out, that gives
you a feeling of immediacy."

Bob Grove, publisher of Monitoring Times, a Brasstown, N.C., publication
that tracks shortwave industry news and is a re-seller of shortwave
equipment, said that "sales have approximately doubled on shortwave in the
past two weeks. "

An analog shortwave radio can be purchased for as little as $29, but digital
models with far greater capability are available in the $99 to $150 range.

E-mail Eric Brazil at .

Duh. I guess that is a little old.