i just started listening to shortwave again after being away from it
for aobut 10 years. I seem to notice that the short wave bands are
totally dominated by nothing but religious subjects and shows. Am I
just listening at the wroing time or wrong bands or does anyone agree
with this observation?

"pak" wrote in message ...
i just started listening to shortwave again after being away from it
for aobut 10 years. I seem to notice that the short wave bands are
totally dominated by nothing but religious subjects and shows. Am I
just listening at the wroing time or wrong bands or does anyone agree
with this observation?

I disagree. I'm hearing BBC right now on 6195 kHz.
Later I'll listen to Radio Bulgaria on 7400. And Havana on 9550.
What receiver and antenna are you using?
Try this for English language schedules...
http://www.primetimeshortwave.com
look on the left for schedules
And try this for all broadcasts
http://www.eibi.de.vu
bc-b04.txt

"pak" wrote in message
...
i just started listening to shortwave again after being away from it
for aobut 10 years. I seem to notice that the short wave bands are
totally dominated by nothing but religious subjects and shows. Am I
just listening at the wroing time or wrong bands or does anyone agree
with this observation?

Welcome to the world of shortwave broadcast. Yes, there are way too many
religious broadcasters on shortwave nowadays, most of them from the US
beaming programs to primarily US audiences even though the FCC says it's
illegal to broadcast to US audiences on shortwave.

However, there are many other english-language programs from other stations
out there, you just have to search through and find them. When you find
them, the programming can be entertaining. 7415 evenings has WBCQ from
Maine with various types of programs, even though they also carry religious
programming.

The reason there is so much religious programming on shortwave is because
the only groups that can reliably raise the money needed to air such
programs on shortwave stations are religious groups, not to mention the
ambition of spreading their message to a worldwide audience.

So you can either search for the non-religious programs to listen to, or
else listen to utility stations like I do. All the religious programming is
probably one reason I never really got into SWBC listening and just stuck
with the utes.


--
Tom Sevart N2UHC
Frontenac, KS
http://www.geocities.com/n2uhc

pak wrote:

i just started listening to shortwave again after being away
from it for aobut 10 years. I seem to notice that the short wave
bands are totally dominated by nothing but religious subjects
and shows. Am I just listening at the wroing time or wrong bands
or does anyone agree with this observation?


Ah, what you get during the daytime in
North America.
Try higher frequencies and check some
schedules for the correct time and freqs.

Try again at morning and evening, there is
more variety.

Also get your antenna up and away.
--
-\_,-~-\___...__._._._._._._._._._._._.
For real Dxing,
see]http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~vz6g-iwt/index.html

Reminds me of a funny incident back in the 1950s, when US AM broadcast
stations were still required to devote a certain amount of air time to
public service. They met the requirement by broadcasting church services
on Sunday mornings.

One Sunday morning I was introduced to a young Italian student who had
just arrived in town the night before. The first thing he said was,
"What is this with radio in your country? All I hear are priests!"
--

jhhaynes at earthlink dot net

pak wrote:
i just started listening to shortwave again after being away from it
for aobut 10 years. I seem to notice that the short wave bands are
totally dominated by nothing but religious subjects and shows. Am I
just listening at the wroing time or wrong bands or does anyone agree
with this observation?

Interesting article he

From America, With Hate
Powerful, U.S.-based shortwave radio stations are broadcasting extremist
propaganda around the world
By James Latham

http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intel...le.jsp?aid=182

"Jim Haynes" wrote in message
k.net...
Reminds me of a funny incident back in the 1950s, when US AM
broadcast
stations were still required to devote a certain amount of air time
to
public service. They met the requirement by broadcasting church
services
on Sunday mornings.

They still are. The requirement is so small, however,
that they usually do it at 3:00 AM on a weeknight.

One Sunday morning I was introduced to a young Italian student who
had
just arrived in town the night before. The first thing he said was,
"What is this with radio in your country? All I hear are priests!"

--Mike L.

"pak" wrote in message
...
i just started listening to shortwave again after being away from it
for aobut 10 years. I seem to notice that the short wave bands are
totally dominated by nothing but religious subjects and shows. Am I
just listening at the wroing time or wrong bands or does anyone agree
with this observation?

Your not wrong.

Short-wave radio is the "Dollar Store" of broadcast
media. As such, only the greatest of kooks and paranoids, who would
never be carried by mainstream media and could never afford airtime
on the same are on short-wave. To be fair however this is more of a
USA phenomena. Foreign short-wave is still for the most part a good
source of news. Domestic USA short-wave however is nothing but a
vast wasteland of every conceivable religious nut, racists and misfit goof
ball which can be imagined. (they are also very amusing as most of em
believe their own BS) Think of it as the point where roller derby and
the tamborine-bangin fundie church on the corner on the other-side-of-the
tracks across town gather behind a microphone. ; )

Telamon wrote:
http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intel...le.jsp?aid=182

Jim Latham is the nut case that used to run RFPI in costa Rica before
the university there threw him out. This is his rant. I don't think they
are broadcasting anymore.

1) AFAIK, the university locked out RFPI because they couldn't pay the
rent. They plan to get their transmitters back up once they've raised
enough money.

2) The article identifies right-wing extremists on shortwave, complete
with quotes. I don't know why you think this is a rant.

Here's a couple more on the same topic:
http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intel...le.jsp?aid=414
http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intel...le.jsp?sid=298

"oingoboingo" wrote in message
roups.com...

"pak" wrote in message
...
i just started listening to shortwave again after being away from it
for aobut 10 years. I seem to notice that the short wave bands are
totally dominated by nothing but religious subjects and shows. Am I
just listening at the wroing time or wrong bands or does anyone agree
with this observation?

Your not wrong.

Short-wave radio is the "Dollar Store" of broadcast
media. As such, only the greatest of kooks and paranoids, who would
never be carried by mainstream media and could never afford airtime
on the same are on short-wave. To be fair however this is more of a
USA phenomena. Foreign short-wave is still for the most part a good
source of news. Domestic USA short-wave however is nothing but a
vast wasteland of every conceivable religious nut, racists and misfit goof
ball which can be imagined. (they are also very amusing as most of em
believe their own BS) Think of it as the point where roller derby and
the tamborine-bangin fundie church on the corner on the other-side-of-the
tracks across town gather behind a microphone. ; )

If you ever listened to USA broadcast radio you would find out that most of
what is broadcast on shortwave as far as religious programming is also
broadcast on AM and FM stations all over the country. Your statement about
shortwave pandering to the folks that could otherwise not afford air time is
very incorrect.
As far as foreign broadcast being a good source of news, you have to
understand that their news is biased just as much as any other media in the
US. Most of the countries of the world do not like the US, they are jealous
of it and would love to see its demise, especially from those on the inside.
What you call "Domestic" USA short-wave is not domestic at all as
technically its illegal as one post put it earlier. As far as being
religious nuts, that is just your opinion. Racists, yes I've heard one or
two, but not scores. You can believe what you want to, and I can believe
what I want to. That's what makes this country so good, and your as welcome
to be completely wrong as you want to be.
Brian
Brian