http://www.w4uvh.net/dxlatest.txt

** U K [and non].
BBC WS TO FURTHER REDUCE FREQUENCIES TO THE AMERICAS WITH A-05 SCHEDULE

I was aware this was forthcoming; thanks to Kim Elliott for flagging the
specific link. Remarkable that the BBC somehow can't fund a transmitter for
an hour (0100-0200) somewhere that could reach Eastern North America...such
as WYFR (which they already use) or WHRI (the old WSHB). Even at
$100/transmitter-hour this would cost $36,500 for the year.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/sc...es/index.shtml for
the notice; here are the new frequencies as of the A-05 changeover:

[with site comments by gh; 6195, 15190, 5975, Antigua mainstays until now
will presumably be Guiana French, Bonaire?]

To the Caribbean:

6195 1000-1100 UT
11865 1100-1300
15190 1300-1400
11675 2100-2130
15390 2100-2200 [with Carib Report 2115; Greenville?]
5975 2200-0100

To Central America:

5975 0300-0400
9605 1200-1300 [WYFR]

To South America:

5975 0200-0300
9825 0200-0300 [Ascension?]
11720 2130-2145 [to Falklands Tue & Fri]
12095 0200-0300 [Ascension]
15190 1200-1300

We'll have to rely on broadcasts targeting Europe, Africa and the Pacific
(for our left coast friends) (Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA, Swprograms
mailing list, March 14, via DXLD)

The link cited under Central American & Caribbean, South America, as well as
links to frequency charts still show longer hours, e.g. 15190 at 1100-1700.
Where exactly did you get this version? Glenn Hauser, ibid.)

A sympathetic source provided this information and advised it could be
shared with others --- since it will become public in two weeks anyway. The
charts at the page in question are the existing frequencies and times
(Richard Cuff, ibid.)

The text of the message says that BBCWS will only be broadcasting for 1 hour
on 15190 from 1300-1400 but the web page says that frequency will be on from
1000-1700. Which is correct? (Sandy Finlayson, PA, ibid.)

[Later:] Sorry Richard, I didn't read your reply to Glen[n] carefully
enough. Given the BBC's unsympathetic response to previous complaints there
is probably no point even writing but if people want to protest where do we
write?

Where the loss will be really felt will be for Sportworld on the weekend
which is not streamed online (Sandy Finlayson, PA, ibid.)

Unfortunately, Sandy, it's a done deal. This decision was made a month ago,
perhaps even in late 2004 when 2005 budgets were being drawn up.

One outlet would be the "Write On" program -- I believe their e-mail address
is write.on @ bbc.co.uk but that may be wrong. There's a web-based e-mail
form for Write On at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/pr...write_on.shtml

The director of the WS and Global News division is Richard Sambrook; the #2
person is Nigel Chapman, Director, World Service.

You could also communicate with the generic Audience Relations folks -- who
are very diligent in forwarding messages to higher- ups -- web-based e-mail
form is he
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/us...ct/index.shtml

This development is particularly unfortunate for Canadians, as they don't
have the listening alternatives we have Stateside -- there is minimal
carriage of the BBC via local rebroadcasters, unlike the gradually improving
state of this in the USA.

Officially, there is no subscription-based satellite radio, either, though
the gray market ("grey market" up North) is increasingly robust.

There is heavy emphasis for 2005 in reducing distribution costs for radio --
with the resulting savings likely to be plowed into more radio and TV
services for the Arab world. Shortwave is a relatively expensive method of
distributing programming for the BBC -- after all, the BBC pays all the
costs, the listener, none; by comparison, there is zero transmission cost
for them for the PRI or the XM/Sirius feeds. There isn't zero marketing
cost, though.

Ironic story: about 10-12 years ago John Figliozzi and I put out a survey at
the SWL Fest (Shame on you, Sandy, BTW, for missing the Fest --- you're so
close) regarding whether or not listeners would pay to hear their favorite
international broadcaster if funding issues cropped up.

The majority of folks surveyed at the Fest said yes. What do you know,
that's what has happened now, though indirectly: We users pay for satellite
radio, and public radio in the USA is funded in part by direct listener
contributions.
(Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA, ibid.)

I'm sure the folks in the Caribbean will be thrilled at no longer being able
to hear Saturday Sportsworld. Any idea on the best
reception from 1400 to 1700 UT? (Ted Schuerzinger, ibid.)

It's not just the folks in the Caribbean who will lose Sportsworld.

Essentially everyone in the Western Hemisphere is losing this great program.
It really is distressing that the BBC has cut so many listeners off again
(Sandy Finlayson, ibid.)

Who cares about cricket and other stupid ballgames? (gh, DXLD)

What follows is based on the current schedule ---

An educated guess for the East Coast would be 17830 from 1100 to 2100,
conditions permitting, which targets West / Central Africa. Also 15400 from
1500 to 2300. Both of those are from Ascension for most of their times. You
didn't ask, but here are some other ideas:

7160 from 0300 to 0700 might also work -- also from Ascension.

I haven't stayed up too late to monitor this one, but 11765 from 0300 to
0700 originates from South Africa targeting West Africa. We're somewhat in
the line of fire for that. Both 7160 and 11765 performed reasonably well
during my December and January French Creek DXpeditions.

The toughest time will be the evening hours -- 2200 to 0300 UT. That tends
to be when African and European frequencies are off the air. Not exactly
armchair listening, but it's what there is (Rich Cuff, swprograms via DXLD)

There is also 15485 and I THINK 15525 which sometimes work (Sandy Finlayson,
ibid.) You mean 15565, UK during our mornings (gh, DXLD)

We'll have to see what frequencies the BBC uses after the clock changes, but
I've had reasonably good success on the east coast with 21470 which at
present targets Africa. I think that -- in the main -- it's going to take a
decent outdoor antenna from here on out (John Figliozzi, Halfmoon, NY,
ibid.)

Maybe those on the list who are regularly near shortwave radios during the
day can do some bandscanning on European and African frqeuencies, looking
for some alternatives for us. Best place to start for
frequency lists:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/sc...s/frequencies/

With two children at home and a full-time-plus job during the week, my
mornings tend not be spent near a shortwave radio. Thanks in advance
(Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA, ibid.)

Richard, I found that 7160 comes in well at times here in Ohio (Chris
Campbell, ibid.) That would be late evening (gh)

I'd be certainly willing to pay for BBCWS, but two issues comes to mind that
have stopped me so far: - If just adding an hour costs some $30,000+ a year,
I don't see how enough money could be raised from people who would benefit
from that particular hour(s) added back into the schedule. But then again
maybe the effort, however partial in covering the costs, would be the
message needed more than the raising the full amount.

I'd consider adding satellite (Sirius is the one I'd likely choose at this
point), but that doesn't provide the World Service coverage that I'd desire
(Info/Entertainment is what I'd want, not 24-hour News) In the end, however,
I feel hopeless on this one, as we have to take what we can get. They aren't
listening to us anymore (Kevin Anderson, Dubuque IA USA, K9IUA, ibid.)

Kevin: Sirius is making a change to the BBC schedule it carries when the
clocks change at the end of the month. Up 'til then it will continue to be
the all news feed detailed on the BBCWS web site. After the switch to
daylight saving [sic] time, the schedule will be the PRI-provided one that
includes some (but certainly not all) of the feature programs currently
heard on the Americas stream on shortwave and XM. Although the summer 2005
schedule is not posted as of yet http://www.pri.org click on "listeners",
then click on "programs", then on "BBC World Service"], you can get an idea
of what will be on the Sirius BBC stream by eyeballing the summer 2004 and
winter 2005 schedules provided there. I can't speak for "Sportsworld" as it
was
carried last summer, but not this winter. We'll have to see if that's a
seasonal thing with PRI. Might not hurt to e-mail PRI about this, though
(John Figliozzi, Halfmoon, NY, ibid.)

Kevin: It certainly appears that they aren't listening but I still think we
should register our complaints, by emailing the appropriate places. I wonder
just how effective World Service is going to be with this loss of
transmission. Yes you can get SOME of their output on local radio but NOT
during the day in most cases.

Maybe relays on FM in SA and Cent. Am. are better than they are here. And if
the situation isn't great in the USA it is worse in Canada where I come
from. In Canada there is next to no local relays and no satellite (Sandy
Finlayson, ibid.)

The BBC describes the cutbacks as *adjustments* done "to reflect global
changes in audiences` use of short wave." When BBC last released its
audience figures in June 2004, the drop of its shortwave listeners was
characterized as *significant*, but weekly global audience estimate fell
only from 150 to 146 million because of a big rise in listening via FM
(DXing.info, March 13, 2005 via DXLD)

** U K. Jonathan Marks on BBC cuts/changes/whatever #Critical Distance
BV Weblog (p1 of 33) Sunday, March 13, 2005

What in the world is the BBC saying?
Still a World Service?

Can you imagine an announcement printed in the Times of London warning
readers that the number of pages in the newspaper were to be reduced because
there are fewer readers of the printed page?

Of course not. But BBC World Service seems to have a strange policy of
announcing its gradual wind-down of analogue shortwave broadcasts. In 2001,
former Director of the BBC World Service, Mark Byford, got into a needless
discussion/ scrap with shortwave listeners because BBCWS announced the
closedown of their English broadcasts on shortwave to North America.

When the time came, they just pulled the plug...talk about a build up to
nothing. Had they simply reduced the number of frequencies beamed in that
direction, few people (in theory) would have noticed. But to publicize it in
such a way was simply a PR disaster.

Now they are at it again. If you check the BBC World Service schedules
website it says From March 27 2005 there will be adjustments to the BBC
World Service shortwave provisions to reflect global changes in audiences'
use of short wave.
The number of hours broadcast on short wave in English, Arabic, Spanish and
Portuguese for South America will be reduced. What on earth does that
garbled syntax South America?

Doesn't it totally contradict other recent statements by BBC Managers that
they have a strong commitment to shortwave, albeit a digital shortwave
future - DRM? So it is a logical shift to digital - not a closedown - they
should be talking about.
Or come clean and say that their policy is a network of FM stations in
capital cities, with Internet as a fill-in and shortwave as a last resort
(Jonathan Marks 3/13/2005 09:26:00 PM (via Dan Say, swprograms via DXLD)

E-mailed to BBC (Write On):

I'm profoundly disappointed to hear that you are AGAIN cutting your
shortwave service to the Americas. The web is a great adjunct to an
international radio service, not a substitute for it. If you are heading
towards abolition of shortwave service (as it sadly appears) why can't you
upgrade your services on local radio? Berlin and Chiang Mai both have 24/7
BBC on FM. North America has no dedicated BBC relays, but plenty for night
owls at 3am. One might think you don't want to be heard in the Americas.
(Blaine Waterman, Oakland, California,
http://www.live365.com/stations/blaine64 March 15, dxldyg via DXLD)