{"id":3577,"date":"2012-05-15T06:04:10","date_gmt":"2012-05-15T10:04:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=3577"},"modified":"2012-05-15T06:04:10","modified_gmt":"2012-05-15T10:04:10","slug":"andy-sennitt-the-media-network-years-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2012\/05\/andy-sennitt-the-media-network-years-the-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Andy Sennitt: The Media Network years – the future"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Media Network, which covered international broadcasting developments, recently ended a 30-year run on RNW. In the first three articles of this series, Andy Sennitt recalled some of the highlights, and in this final part he looks at how international broadcasting might develop in the next ten years.<\/p>\n

Below, I am posting the full article from the RNW website. I don’t typically do this, but I would certainly hate for this post to be deleted from the RNW site at some point in the future. I think Andy has great insight into the future of shortwave radio and his comments about international broadcasting are most valid (and, indeed, reflect my own).<\/p>\n

Andy, we will miss you in Media Network, but wish you the best in your early retirement.<\/p>\n

(Source: RNW<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Part four: the future<\/strong>
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

RNW headquarters in Hilversum, Netherlands (photo coutesty: RNW)<\/p><\/div>\n

The first decade of this millennium saw a significant number of international radio broadcasters disappear from the air. For shortwave listeners, it was a decade of doom and gloom as station after station announced that they were ending or reducing their shortwave transmissions.<\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Hobby clubs which a few decades earlier had complained that international broadcasters were using too many shortwave frequencies were now begging them not to go off the air. I expect this pattern to continue during the next decade, though there will still be a significant amount of shortwave broadcasting to regions such as Africa, South Asia and parts of Latin America.<\/em><\/p>\n

Shortwave broadcasts to Europe will be mostly from private, low budget stations and to North America from the various private US stations that carry mainly religious or right-wing talk programmes. Major international broadcasters such as the BBC, the Voice of America and its sister stations etc. will continue to have a significant presence, but their languages and targets will be more closely tied to current political developments and\/or press freedom issues. There will be very little room for \u2018legacy\u2019 services, so in general jobs in international broadcasting will be far less secure than they once were.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>China<\/strong><\/em>
\n An exception to this general rule is China, which continues to broadcast in more languages than any other country. Reliable sources with inside information have told me that the reach of some of these services is very small, and that China Radio International is very good at inflating numbers, for example by counting all the spam messages it receives as genuine emails from listeners. Another CRI strategy is to buy airtime on struggling AM stations in the West, although China does not so far offer reciprocal arrangements to Western broadcasters in China.<\/em><\/p>\n

China also operates several international TV services, and an expanded range of such services from other countries seems certain. In recent months I\u2019ve seen news of several more countries that intend to start TV broadcasts, and some of those already on the air plan to add more languages. The problem is that TV is a lot more expensive to produce than radio. The money has to come from somewhere, and especially in tough times for the economy the radio services usually suffer.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The French connection<\/strong><\/em>
\n It will be interesting to see what happens in France, where the international radio and TV services have been merged into a single organization. If the two can work together effectively, it could prove to be a successful merger that might inspire others to follow suit. I\u2019m thinking of the international services of such countries as Russia, China and Iran, where the radio and TV services rarely mention each other\u2019s existence, as if they are in competition with each other.<\/em><\/p>\n

I wonder how long it will before we see a TV version of the radio services provided by WRN. When WRN started, it gave international broadcasters a chance to reach a new audience who didn\u2019t listen to shortwave radio, and provided existing listeners with an alternative way of hearing their favourite international stations with better audio quality. Now there are a significant number of international TV channels, but they\u2019re scattered across many different satellites, so only a satellite enthusiast with a large steerable dish and an expensive receiver is likely to see a significant number of them. A WRN-type service, with a variety of TV stations sharing the same transponder, might be a way to make some of the output available to a wider audience.<\/em><\/p>\n

Websites & apps<\/strong><\/em>
\n In the meantime, the websites of international broadcasters will have to try harder to make people aware of their radio and\/or TV programmes, and how to tune them in. It seems ridiculous that some large broadcasters with a staff of hundreds cannot get their act together to produce an accurate schedule of their output. Some only manage to update their schedule weeks after it has gone into effect. Others give the job of compiling the schedule to someone who doesn\u2019t have a clue about technical matters, and then they don\u2019t bother to check it before publication. Sometimes errors and typos are never corrected.<\/em><\/p>\n

I expect to see more apps from international broadcasters for the various mobile and handheld platforms. These will increase the chances of getting content to the younger generation, to whom conventional radio listening is considered old-fashioned. But the content has to be suitable, and I hope that international broadcasters will recognise the need to have young people on their staff who understand how to serve this generation. Too much international broadcasting content is still produced with the over 50s in mind.<\/em><\/p>\n

Time warp<\/strong><\/em>
\n \"\"<\/a>International broadcasters must accept that in general they are far less significant than they once were. For example, since 1947 RNW has had a Dutch service whose reach was high amongst its target group of Dutch expats. But since the advent of the internet, the information that RNW used to provide can be found on numerous websites, and the USP (unique selling point) of RNW\u2019s Dutch service is no longer valid. Hence the painful decision to close it.<\/em><\/p>\n

I have the impression that many of the people who have made a career out of international broadcasting have in effect entered a time warp, and they have failed to realise how much has changed in the world outside. I recall taking part in an experimental phone-in at RNW in the 1980s, and the newsreader told me that he\u2019d been reading the news for 30 years and that was the first time he\u2019d ever seen or heard any audience reaction.<\/em><\/p>\n

I once met an experienced BBC World Service producer who admitted that he had never heard BBCWS on shortwave. I decided that I couldn\u2019t \u2013 and indeed shouldn\u2019t – work in the strategy department unless I had some regular contact with the audience, so that’s why I\u2019ve also been working part-time on the English website.<\/em><\/p>\n

Drops in the ocean<\/strong><\/em>
\n Those international services that survive to the end of the current decade will be the ones that can face up to the challenge of creating content that their potential audience wants, making sure that the content is distributed on appropriate platforms, and letting people know about it. They\u2019ll have to work a lot harder to stand out from the crowd. Instead of being big fish in a small pond as they were on shortwave, they\u2019re tiny drops in the internet ocean. I wish them success. International broadcasting has been my life for nearly 40 years, and it has given me friends around the world. Now I\u2019m off to make some around here.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Media Network, which covered international broadcasting developments, recently ended a 30-year run on RNW. In the first three articles of this series, Andy Sennitt recalled some of the highlights, and in this final part he looks at how international broadcasting might develop in the next ten years. Below, I am posting the full article from […]<\/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":[8,56,81],"tags":[239,574,952,951,1097,1098],"class_list":["post-3577","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","category-broadcasters","category-current-events","tag-andy-sennitt","tag-media-network","tag-rnw-media-network","tag-rnw-media-network-closing","tag-rnw-media-network-history","tag-shortwave-radio-history"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-VH","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3499,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2012\/05\/andy-sennitt-the-media-network-years-the-noughties\/","url_meta":{"origin":3577,"position":0},"title":"Andy Sennitt: The Media Network years – the noughties","author":"Thomas","date":"May 9, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Media Network, which covered international broadcasting developments at Radio Netherlands,\u00a0recently ended a 30-year run on RNW. In a series of four articles,\u00a0Andy Sennitt mentions some of the highlights, and then looks ahead to\u00a0how international broadcasting might develop in the next ten years. Part 3 of this series, \"The Media Network\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\/2011\/01\/RNW.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3443,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2012\/05\/andy-sennitt-the-media-network-years-the-1990s\/","url_meta":{"origin":3577,"position":1},"title":"Andy Sennitt: The Media Network years the 1990s","author":"Thomas","date":"May 1, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Media Network, which covered international broadcasting developments at Radio Netherlands,\u00a0recently ended a 30-year run on RNW. In a series of four articles,\u00a0Andy Sennitt mentions some of the highlights, and then looks ahead to\u00a0how international broadcasting might develop in the next ten years. Part 2 of this series, \"The Media Network\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/RNW.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3396,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2012\/04\/andy-sennitt-looking-back-at-30-years-of-media-network\/","url_meta":{"origin":3577,"position":2},"title":"Andy Sennitt: Looking back at 30 years of Media Network","author":"Thomas","date":"April 25, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Media Network, which covered international broadcasting developments at Radio Netherlands,\u00a0recently ended a 30-year run on RNW. In a series of four articles,\u00a0Andy Sennitt mentions some of the highlights, and then looks ahead to\u00a0how international broadcasting might develop in the next ten years. Part 1 is now available on RNW's website.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/RNW-Hilver-300x152.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2911,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2012\/03\/media-network-will-be-closing-on-saturday-24-march-2012\/","url_meta":{"origin":3577,"position":3},"title":"Media Network will be closing on Saturday 24 March 2012","author":"Thomas","date":"March 9, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"On Saturday, March 24, RNW's Andy Sennitt will be closing down his Media Network\u00a0blog. SWLing Post readers will recognize the name \"Media Network\" as I have referenced it many times as the source of news regarding international broadcasting. Andy posted the following message to his readers: Important announcement to all\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/RNW.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":50591,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2021\/11\/video-jonathan-marks-and-andy-sennitt-on-amsterdam-radio-day-in-2011\/","url_meta":{"origin":3577,"position":4},"title":"Video: Jonathan Marks and Andy Sennitt on Amsterdam Radio Day in 2011","author":"Thomas","date":"November 28, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mike Barraclough, who shares the following: [Here's a video] link to Jonathan Marks and Andy Sennitt talking about Media Network at the Amsterdam Radio Day in 2011, a meeting I attended. Those annual events were mostly panels about offshore radio: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=odjyD3TaUYc Thank you so\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "International Broadcasting"","block_context":{"text":"International Broadcasting","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/international-broadcasting\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/RNW-Hilver.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/RNW-Hilver.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/RNW-Hilver.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5712,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2013\/02\/rnw-radio-equipment-for-sale\/","url_meta":{"origin":3577,"position":5},"title":"RNW radio equipment for sale","author":"Thomas","date":"February 22, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: Andy Sennitt via Facebook) From the Dutch website (my translation): The disappearance of a number of tasks of Radio Netherlands Worldwide means some of the technical equipment is now available for sale. This includes a fully equipped Network Operations Centre with a network matrix of NTP, a complete Studer\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"mixing_board","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/mixing_board-300x197.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\/3577","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=3577"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3577\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3577"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3577"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3577"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}