"Thurston Howell III" wrote in message
om...
INTERNET RADIO V. SHORT-WAVE - IS SW DYING?

I am getting back into SW from a ten year absence. I will be
purchasing a new, nice quality radio, in the next few weeks. The
reason for my renewed interest is that I purchased a YB FR-200 for
Hurricane Charley. I forgot how I enjoyed SW. However, after surfing
the Internet for a wile, I was surprised (not really) to see limited
to no growth in SW receivers. My last Passport book is from 1995, and
I found that in 2004, the receivers from the 1995 book are the ones
still available, with few new entries.

It is obvious, the advent of the Internet in the last ten years has
changed drastically, the available of worldwide audio and video
programming. With that said, what is not available on the Internet,
that is available on SW? Let me preference by stating, that I
understand SW as a hobby, and I also understand that the challenge of
pulling in programming from a radio is a lot more rewarding than point
and click Real Audio or Windows Media streams. However, for fun, over
the last few days, I would find a signal/program on my little FR-200,
and then, I would find same streamed audio on the Internet. I had a
100% success rate, and the Internet stream is superior, as there is no
interference.

Maybe the FR-200 only pulls in the major stations, and that is why I
found everything, however, is there any worthwhile programming not
streamed live, or available as archive on the Internet. To further
tilt program availability on the Internet, there are hundreds of
websites that make available, professional model SW setups, that
Internet uses can directly control.

I understand that poor countries do not widely have access to the
Internet, but US access is far reaching. Will and/or have programmers
stop targeting the US by SW? So I ask, is SW dying a slow death? I
look forward to a nice discussion, Thurston Howell III

I don't think sw radio will ever be "dead". Some of the big broadcasters
have discontinued service in certain languages like English, but they still
transmit in other languages. Reason being, the entire world, especially the
third world is not yet wired up for the internet and probably wont be for an
indefinite amount of time. Also... Internet communications can be
administered and BLOCKED by governments. Although you can jam a shortwave
broadcast, you cant always be successful at jamming everything. So,
shortwave is still a great way to get information out to people that are
living under some lord high dictatorship.
Aside from that, as far as I know, there are new broadcasters getting into
the game all the time.

In the US, you also have an entire host of the "domestic" broadcasters that
want to be on shortwave regardless of the internet. They range from the
religious programs to the "conspiracy" guys to the "alternative news" guys.
I cant tell you how many of those "conspiracy" guys say... "keep your sw
radio handy 'cause the internet is going down" LOL. For the most part,
they are off the wall, but just as much fun as The Three Stooges. Sometimes
some of the "alternative" news guys actually have some good stories too.

So... There is indeed a decline of English service of major broadcasters,
but there is still and always will be PLENTY of stuff to listen to. Not to
mention...Hams, utility, Pirates....

I think the future of communication isn't the internet. IMO, I'd say in
twenty years or so, may be sooner... EVERYTHING is going to be wireless and
coming off of satellites. There will be a net of communication satellites
covering the Earth built by... say... Microsoft or some other huge company
that will handle... Television, radio, computer network, telephone... I
really think it is all going to be gobbled up by one company that will
become the world wide communications provider. They will be the phone
company, cable TV company and internet provider all built into one HUGE
institution. It sounds like science fiction stuff, but I think that is the
way things are going to go.

STILL... Even if everything does go wireless, you'll still have radio as a
back up for some communications in case of a huge x class flare comes along
and wipes out the satellite network....

So... again... sw radio will never be dead...

Michael