| Page 1 of 2 | 1 | 2 |
|
|
Is shortwave dying?
This is a frequent thread with protagonists each way.
I started DXing in the sixties when there were hardly any SW stations to be heard here in Africa at all. Today there are more bands and they are all jampacked with broadcasters. There are plenty of English language broadcasts to Africa from a wide variety of major broadcasters. I was just listening to the Voice of (N) Korea and it was absorbing - some really nice Chinese opera followed by a travel slot in English = captivating stuff. Some of you seem to think if the broadcast is not in English then it is not worth listening to. This is wrong as there is much fascinating stuff to be heard in foreign languages, particularly their music. Have you ever heard the lovely flute music from the high Andes put out by Chilean broadcasters? The lovely classical operas and concerto's from Radio China. Their "Great Wall Concerto" is a must, I even bought the CD. Try listening to Pidgin English from Papua New Guinea or Solomon Isles. I've even listened to early morning aerobics from Indonesia. How about some beautiful Indian music to add to your repertoire? Then there's the Russian/Ukraine/Georgian local stations with spellbinding dances. I could go on, but try for yourself before you consign shortwave to the graveyard. It's certainly not dead - the bands are full of interesting programming and captivating music = give it a try. There are still billions of people in the world who do not have access to the internet and first world gadgetry who will continue to rely on radio for very many years to come. Happy listening and enjoy your shortwave radio. -- John Plimmer, Montagu, Western Cape Province, South Africa South 33 d 47 m 32 s, East 20 d 07 m 32 s RX Icom IC-756 PRO III with MW mods Drake SW8 & ERGO software Sony 7600D GE SRIII BW XCR 30, Braun T1000, Sangean 818 & 803A. Hallicrafters SX-100, Eddystone 940 GE circa 50's radiogram Antenna's RF Systems DX 1 Pro, Datong AD-270 Kiwa MW Loop http://www.dxing.info/about/dxers/plimmer.dx |
And of course, even if every major broadcaster disappeared tomorrow,
there would *still* be plenty to listen to on the shortwave bands. I do a lot of listening, and I can't even keep track of it all. It's fun, but also exhausting. Steve |
John:
Thanks for your interesting comments re SW. I wish I could be as optimistic, and at the same time I'm not sure there is any reason to "wish" that SW continue. As a near 30 year news correspondent for Voice of America, as well as a near 40 year SWL, I can tell you that SW is definitely not long for this world. This has been covered by others on this discussion group in the past, but there is no longer much incentive for anyone to use shortwave, except for the few broadcasters in Latin America who still do it in remote regions of Peru and similar places. Major broadcasters may still be found on the air (ironically, and in a statement that reflects very closely the state of affairs on the international stage, the major broadcasters that are left are China which has been seeking to expand its influence to overcome the U.S., and Cuba -- which appears to be clueless). You also have the bizarre ones, such as Croatia, and Czech Republic, who still think there is a reason to do so. For the most part, however, SW is on a steep nosedive, and this has been shown statistically to be true in recent surveys by one of the better known veteran SWLs in Europe (whose name I can't recall right now). It is interesting, however, that as SW continues to decline (although you will find those who cite sales of cheap crappy Eton/Grundig radios as proof that it is doing very well), in the recent New Orleans crisis, some of the best reporting can be found coming from BBC and Deutsche Welle (inlcuding BBC reading emails from people in the Gulf region). Anyway, I think it's an interesting topic for discussion here on this group and I would welcome input from others. Dan Robinson John Plimmer wrote: This is a frequent thread with protagonists each way. I started DXing in the sixties when there were hardly any SW stations to be heard here in Africa at all. Today there are more bands and they are all jampacked with broadcasters. There are plenty of English language broadcasts to Africa from a wide variety of major broadcasters. I was just listening to the Voice of (N) Korea and it was absorbing - some really nice Chinese opera followed by a travel slot in English = captivating stuff. Some of you seem to think if the broadcast is not in English then it is not worth listening to. This is wrong as there is much fascinating stuff to be heard in foreign languages, particularly their music. Have you ever heard the lovely flute music from the high Andes put out by Chilean broadcasters? The lovely classical operas and concerto's from Radio China. Their "Great Wall Concerto" is a must, I even bought the CD. Try listening to Pidgin English from Papua New Guinea or Solomon Isles. I've even listened to early morning aerobics from Indonesia. How about some beautiful Indian music to add to your repertoire? Then there's the Russian/Ukraine/Georgian local stations with spellbinding dances. I could go on, but try for yourself before you consign shortwave to the graveyard. It's certainly not dead - the bands are full of interesting programming and captivating music = give it a try. There are still billions of people in the world who do not have access to the internet and first world gadgetry who will continue to rely on radio for very many years to come. Happy listening and enjoy your shortwave radio. -- John Plimmer, Montagu, Western Cape Province, South Africa South 33 d 47 m 32 s, East 20 d 07 m 32 s RX Icom IC-756 PRO III with MW mods Drake SW8 & ERGO software Sony 7600D GE SRIII BW XCR 30, Braun T1000, Sangean 818 & 803A. Hallicrafters SX-100, Eddystone 940 GE circa 50's radiogram Antenna's RF Systems DX 1 Pro, Datong AD-270 Kiwa MW Loop http://www.dxing.info/about/dxers/plimmer.dx |
You are right John.Many foreign countries do have some outstanding
music.Much better than the rap crap in America nowdays.I miss the old days when there was very nice slow music and songs on the radio from the 1950's and 1940's and even the nice music from earlier years.In my opinion,most American music started going straight to hell back in the late 1950's. cuhulin |
Croatia,bizarre!? Dudette,where the heck are YOU crawing from? Go crawl
back up in your hole and ROT! cuhulin |
|
Good points. I've noted before that shortwave has been languishing on
its "deathbed" for several *decades* now. It's the slowest, most prolonged death I've ever seen! My guess is that a couple of hundred years from now people will still be talking about the death of shortwave. Maybe this is a good thing. It's something our grandchildren will be able to bond with their grandchildren about. Steve |
It is interesting, however, that as SW continues to decline (although
you will find those who cite sales of cheap crappy Eton/Grundig radios as proof that it is doing very well), in the recent New Orleans crisis, some of the best reporting can be found coming from BBC and Deutsche Welle (inlcuding BBC reading emails from people in the Gulf region). It is interesting, isn't it? It's not so surprising, though. Shortwave's greatest strength is that it's marginal. It's not a commercially viable medium in the way that FM or broadcast AM is. Consequently, all the mindless crap that *sells well* finds its home elsewhere. What's left for shortwave is variable, unpredictable, sometimes plain weird and often fascinating. Shortwave's 'death' is precisely what keeps it going. Steve |
I've just started listening to SW again after almost two decades away from
it and find it as honest as it was the day I last listened. I love listening to the same news stories from all corners of the globe, it helps to build a more realistic picture of the real event without all the spin. Tell me, If oil production does hit a peak next year and energy demand exceeds supply from then on, will the internet or radio survive? Does anyone see where I'm coming from? The tales of SW's slow death is very similar to VMS. Let's ask the NT guys where SW will be in twenty years time! Floyd -- http://www.twobigones.com http://www.smellyhound.com wrote in message oups.com... Good points. I've noted before that shortwave has been languishing on its "deathbed" for several *decades* now. It's the slowest, most prolonged death I've ever seen! My guess is that a couple of hundred years from now people will still be talking about the death of shortwave. Maybe this is a good thing. It's something our grandchildren will be able to bond with their grandchildren about. Steve |
Proves once again,When the chips are down,Shortwave Radio is the only
way to go. cuhulin |
| All times are GMT +1. The time now is 11:47 AM. |
|
Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
RadioBanter.com