{"id":1151,"date":"2011-06-07T07:24:23","date_gmt":"2011-06-07T12:24:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=1151"},"modified":"2011-06-07T08:56:40","modified_gmt":"2011-06-07T13:56:40","slug":"voa-plans-to-sunset-shortwave-broadcasts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2011\/06\/voa-plans-to-sunset-shortwave-broadcasts\/","title":{"rendered":"VOA plans to “sunset” shortwave broadcasts?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>(Source: boingboing<\/a>)<\/p>\n

A strategic technology plan prepared by the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), the federal agency responsible for Voice of America, Alhurra, Radio Free Asia and other international stations, concludes that it should end many shortwave broadcasts in favor of “more effective” media such as internet radio.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I found the quote above, and most of the beginning of this article, very disturbing. The same themes keep coming up in this type of announcement: that shortwave broadcasts are expensive while internet services are cheap, that no one listens to shortwave because most people are connected to the internet.<\/p>\n

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts<\/a>, these statements simply aren’t true. Rather, they’re short-sighted and “western” centric.<\/p>\n

I did find one telling paragraph in the above article:<\/p>\n

The “sun-setting strategy” proposed will reduce the number of stations owned by the BBG in favor of lease or sharing arrangements with\u2014or outsourcing to\u2014independent broadcasters. A “long-term analysis” of each country and language, and in-house research on shortwave’s effectiveness in each, would determine which areas retain service.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Though I’d love to see the engineers and workers of the VOA broadcasts sites keep their jobs,\u00a0I do believe outsourcing the actual shortwave transmissions to independent broadcasters makes a lot of financial sense, and could be the way forward to retain vital shortwave in areas which rely almost solely upon it. If you talk to WRMI or WBCQ, you’ll find that they can operate a SW broadcast operation at a fraction of the cost of the VOA; in fact, broadcasts with these independent stations can cost as little as $120 per hour of air time–a small price to pay to retain listeners and keep information flowing.<\/p>\n

I don’t necessarily have faith in the ability of the BBG to effectively do “in-house” research to determine which countries\/regions get chopped. After all, have any of these decision makers ever lived in a third world country ruled by a dictator? Have any of them ever lived without reliable access to the internet, or even without electric power, as many of these listeners do? Highly doubtful.<\/p>\n

I urge readers of the SWLing Post to speak up! <\/strong> Contact the Broadcast Board of Governers and let them know how important shortwave broadcasts are to those living in poverty and in countries with unstable regimes–people who, informationally-speaking, live in the dark.<\/p>\n

Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG)<\/strong>
\n 330 Independence Avenue, SW<\/strong>
\n Washington, DC 20237<\/strong>
\n Tel: (202) 203-4400<\/strong>
\n Fax: (202) 203-4585<\/strong>
\n E-mail: publicaffairs@bbg.gov<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(Source: boingboing) A strategic technology plan prepared by the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), the federal agency responsible for Voice of America, Alhurra, Radio Free Asia and other international stations, concludes that it should end many shortwave broadcasts in favor of “more effective” media such as internet radio. I found the quote above, and most […]<\/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":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[56,3],"tags":[406,407,33,10,402,182],"class_list":["post-1151","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-broadcasters","category-news","tag-bbg","tag-broadcast-board-of-governers","tag-shortwave-programs","tag-voa","tag-voa-cuts","tag-voice-of-america"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-iz","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2891,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2012\/03\/voa-self-censors-in-russian-elections\/","url_meta":{"origin":1151,"position":0},"title":"VOA self-censors in Russian elections","author":"Thomas","date":"March 5, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"This interesting Op Ed piece\u00a0points out that VOA could be in violation of US Public Law 94-350 by adhering to Russian media law with VOA FM broadcasts in Moscow. Of course, shortwave broadcasts continue to report VOA un-censored news: (Source: Digital Journal) Voice of America and Radio Liberty, funded by\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/a999voalogo_2050081722-26491.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1565,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2011\/08\/scrambling-to-keep-voa-china-on-the-air\/","url_meta":{"origin":1151,"position":1},"title":"Scrambling to keep VOA China on the air","author":"Thomas","date":"August 5, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: Fox News) Congressional lawmakers are scrambling to prevent America's international media arm from going off-air in China, arguing that a plan to shift much of its reporting to the Internet won't do much good in a country notorious for its web censors. [...]The Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/a999voalogo_2050081722-26491.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":10081,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/06\/sweeping-cuts-to-voa-rfe-and-rfa-shortwave-services\/","url_meta":{"origin":1151,"position":2},"title":"Sweeping cuts to VOA, RFE and RFA shortwave services","author":"Thomas","date":"June 27, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Unfortunate news from the Voice of America: Congress has approved major\u00a0cuts to US international broadcasting over shortwave. Thanks to Dan Robinson for sharing this significant\u00a0news. Dan writes: This news emerging from VOA late Friday: VOA to end shortwave broadcasts in English and several language services Monday. Received this late Friday\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Voice_of_America_Headquarters","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Voice_of_America_Headquarters.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Voice_of_America_Headquarters.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Voice_of_America_Headquarters.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Voice_of_America_Headquarters.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9117,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/03\/bbgs-2015-budget-voa-to-increase-services-to-asiaafrica-but-cut-others\/","url_meta":{"origin":1151,"position":3},"title":"BBG’s 2015 budget: VOA to increase services to Asia\/Africa, but cut others","author":"Thomas","date":"March 27, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"The Broadcasting Board Of Governors is requesting a reduced budget from congress for FY 2015 and re-focusing efforts on services to Asia and Africa. Of course, this will be at the expense of Azerbaijani, Georgian, Persian, and Uzbek language\u00a0programming and a complete cut of programs to\u00a0Serbia, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Macedonia.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The new budget would expand Leaning English (a.k.a. Special English) programming.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/VOApodcastimageSPecialEnglish.gif?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":10412,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/08\/bbg-publishes-report-on-the-efficacy-and-future-of-shortwave-radio\/","url_meta":{"origin":1151,"position":4},"title":"BBG publishes report on the efficacy and future of shortwave radio","author":"Thomas","date":"August 1, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Bennett Kobb, who shares this downloadable Report of the Special Committee on the Future of Shortwave Broadcasting. If you recall, this\u00a0report was produced by a Broadcasting Board of Governors committee\u00a0and chaired\u00a0by\u00a0Matt Armstrong. Both Bennett and I believe it's unfortunate that the committee failed to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"VOA-Greenville-Curtain-Antennas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/VOA-Greenville-Curtain-Antennas.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/VOA-Greenville-Curtain-Antennas.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/VOA-Greenville-Curtain-Antennas.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/VOA-Greenville-Curtain-Antennas.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7705,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2013\/10\/bbg-changes-us-shortwave-broadcasts-under-microscope\/","url_meta":{"origin":1151,"position":5},"title":"BBG changes: US shortwave broadcasts under microscope","author":"Thomas","date":"October 25, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"It appears the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG)--the bi-partisan board who oversees all international broadcasts generated by the US government--is making some changes to its structure. One of those changes will be the formation of a special committee to examine \"the efficacy of shortwave radio transmissions.\" See full press release\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"voa logo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/a999voalogo_2050081722-26491.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1151","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1151"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1151\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1151"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1151"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1151"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}