I can't help but to have noticed over the last 10 years I have to work
harder to catch a little English broadcasting (unless it is religous
stuff - which of course they have every right to spend their money on
broadcasting but it is disheartening to get a blasting good signal of
crap).

I have a very fast internet connection, two killer computers (one a
laptop other a dual processor 64 bit desktop machine) and I perish the
thought of listening to these stations via them. I also have Sirius
and despise the idea of listening to the BBC or any other station that
I have grown accustomed to listening to via shortwave. It is the
challenge... the romance. I get two hours of BBC in the evening on
5975kHz here in the Northwest US and it isn't enough. I think they're
broadcasting to Central/South America and it still blasts in but is
overtaken by a different broadcaster just at the time of the evening
I'd like to listen. Radio Netherlands has also changed their 8PM
(local Pacific Time) English broadcast which used to be a bulletproof
"go to" listen on 6165 and 9590. They do have earlier broadcasts but
the declining "prime time" English broadcasts are fading. Prime time
to me is 7PM - midnight.

It is somewhat sad but I'm glad to have been listening for the time I
have been and I really hope something happens to revive this great way
of broadcasting news and stories. On the other hand, if it is going to
slide all the way until I can no longer hear English broadcasting from
other nations I'll be somewhat proud to say I was there before the end,
and listening as much as ever during the decline.

Long live shortwave.

Adam