{"id":11418,"date":"2014-11-16T11:22:33","date_gmt":"2014-11-16T15:22:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=11418"},"modified":"2014-11-16T11:22:33","modified_gmt":"2014-11-16T15:22:33","slug":"global-24s-take-on-the-future-of-the-shortwave-radio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/11\/global-24s-take-on-the-future-of-the-shortwave-radio\/","title":{"rendered":"Global 24’s take on the future of the shortwave radio"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many thanks to the staff of Global 24<\/a> for the following\u00a0response to my post, Does Shortwave Radio Have a Future?<\/a>:<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

\"Global24\"<\/a><\/p>\n

To Shortwave Listeners of the World:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Shortwave radio is not dying. In fact, we think the whole story line should just go away.<\/p>\n

We wanted to thank Thomas Witherspoon of SWLing.com for his excellent article on this very topic<\/a> and the team of Global 24 wanted to share our perspective on this question.<\/p>\n

First,<\/p>\n

The 5,000 of you that have written to Global 24 since November 1, 2014 attest to the fact that shortwave radio is not dying.<\/p>\n

The 1,000 of you that have joined our Listeners Club and Insiders Club since November 1, 2014 attest to the fact that shortwave radio is not dying.<\/p>\n

The 30,000 unique visitors that visited our website, Global24Radio.com, since November 1, 2014 attest to the fact that shortwave radio is not dying.<\/p>\n

You can expect Global 24 to be outspoken whenever and where ever we hear the words that shortwave radio is dying.<\/p>\n

Yes, many government broadcast operations have closed up shop. They are totally incorrect in their worldview and so-called \u201cresearch\u201d. The public diplomacy and foreign policies of governments around the world are in incoherent disarray. It\u2019s not surprising that incoherent foreign policy equates to government shortwave broadcasting being cut back. The fact that the U.S. government thinks shortwave is a medium of the past – should be enough for us all to stand up and cast a doubtful stare.<\/p>\n

Whether we are confronting Ebola, dwindling global natural resources,welcoming the Arab spring or dealing with the reality of more and more failed states – states based on borders and beliefs largely imposed by the West – we are living in a world that is more dangerous than ever.<\/p>\n

Important World Events Need a Western Perspective on Shortwave<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes, we live in a world where terrorists groups like ISIS send out thousands of tweets an hour recruiting people to their violent worldview. Yes, we live in a world where ISIS produces an \u201cAnnual Report\u201d that visually looks as good as than anything the Voice of America (VoA) produces. Yes, we live in a world where the internet reach of terrorists far eclipses the audience of the VoA. Does shortwave have a place in this world? Of course it does. One kid in Syria – or anywhere in the Middle East – listening to a shortwave radio that gets a different perspective and doesn\u2019t go radical makes it worth it to us. Shortwave is a place where moderate worldviews can be heard easily.<\/p>\n

Anyone with TV access or web access has so many other choices for information gathering. Why yield the field in shortwave – the one place where an audience is guaranteed? The governments of many nations, especially the United States need to \u201cgo back to the basics\u201d and go back to shortwave radio. VoA, Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, Radio Marti and the Middle Eastern Broadcasters need to have their shortwave budgets exponentially increased immediately. It\u2019s not just about hot button issues and unfree governments – it\u2019s about inexpensive access to information for the world and simple \u201csoft power\u201d. Simply look at China Radio International or the Xinhua news agency and you will see a rapidly growing international presence – they are fighting the fights we have already largely walked away from.<\/p>\n

The Developing World Still Need Shortwave<\/strong><\/p>\n

We live in a world where access to electricity is still limited to huge swaths of our brothers and sisters around the world. Does shortwave have a place of growing importance in this world? Of course, it does.<\/p>\n

Shortwave radio requires no electrical mains, no internet access, no subscriptions – and of course, one radio can be shared and listened to by so many people. How can we live in a world where so many people don\u2019t have clean water, electricity, basic medical care and access to information and think that social media, TV and the internet are the sole communication vehicles of the future? When kids in every country the world over have the water they need, the eyeglasses they need, the medical care they need, the electricity they need and the education they need, then maybe we can talk about engaging them on their smartphones and TVs exclusively and winning over their hearts and minds with 160 character \u201cTweets\u201d.<\/p>\n

Shortwave was, and is, a battle that must be won – not given up on.<\/p>\n

The Rest of Us Still Need Shortwave<\/strong><\/p>\n

For the first time in many of our lives, we all should genuinely concerned about press freedom in the United States and in other \u201cFirst World\u201d nations – yet alone press freedom in countries driving world events like Russia, China, Saudi Arabia and Iran. Across our country more and more people are seeking a simpler lifestyle unburdened by expensive TV, internet and satellite connections. A lifestyle characterized by a lack of dependence – in terms of either information, resources or infrastructure. We are prepping, homesteading and preparing to live off the grid together. We are buying our guns, packing our bug out bags and drawing up emergency plans for our families. .<\/p>\n

What We Plan to Do<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here at Global 24 – we are a modest operation but we will be bringing to the world a new view of shortwave radio. Together with our listeners, we can do what governments can not do alone: create a renaissance in shortwave listening in the form of commercial shortwave listening before manufacturers stop making radios and stores stop marketing and selling them. These are the real threats to shortwave radio.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many thanks to the staff of Global 24 for the following\u00a0response to my post, Does Shortwave Radio Have a Future?: To Shortwave Listeners of the World: Shortwave radio is not dying. In fact, we think the whole story line should just go away. We wanted to thank Thomas Witherspoon of SWLing.com for his excellent article […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[8,3194,3,43,1167],"tags":[429,3389,178,218,3391,3393,3394,662,3392,1230,1231,34,4082,84,1509,61],"class_list":["post-11418","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","category-guest-posts","category-news","category-shortwave-radio","category-whats-on-shortwave","tag-cri","tag-does-shortwave-radio-have-a-future","tag-ears-to-our-world","tag-etow","tag-global-24","tag-hf","tag-high-frequency","tag-internet","tag-is-shortwave-radio-relevant","tag-is-there-anything-on-shortwave","tag-is-there-anything-to-listen-to-on-shortwave-radio","tag-shortwave","tag-shortwave-radio","tag-why-shortwave-radio","tag-why-shortwave-radio-better-than-internet","tag-wrmi"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-2Ya","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":63822,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/08\/radio-prague-interview-jeff-white-on-why-shortwave-still-matters\/","url_meta":{"origin":11418,"position":0},"title":"Radio Prague Interview: Jeff White on Why Shortwave Still Matters","author":"Thomas","date":"August 31, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Speaking from Prague at the latest HFCC (High Frequency Coordination Conference), Jeff White\u2014chairman of the HFCC and founder of Radio Miami International\u2014shares why shortwave broadcasting still matters now more than ever. 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I think Kim is spot-on: As a shortwave listener for nearly a half-century, I am saddened to see the reduction of shortwave broadcasting, especially by US international broadcasters. As an\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"VOA transmitter site in Greenville, NC","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/VOAgreenville-300x171.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8734,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/02\/why-the-humanitarian-community-should-shape-the-future-of-shortwave\/","url_meta":{"origin":11418,"position":3},"title":"“Why The Humanitarian Community Should Shape The Future Of Shortwave”","author":"Thomas","date":"February 6, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"As World Radio Day approaches, writer\u00a0Mehmet Burk (founder of\u00a0ReliefAnalysis.com)\u00a0considers the importance of shortwave radio, especially in terms of disaster relief. Burke posted the article, Why The Humanitarian Community Should Shape The Future Of Shortwave\u00a0on Interaction.org. 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