{"id":62103,"date":"2025-02-17T08:00:08","date_gmt":"2025-02-17T12:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=62103"},"modified":"2025-03-02T07:48:02","modified_gmt":"2025-03-02T11:48:02","slug":"shortwave-shutdowns-ark-warns-of-rising-censorship-and-information-gaps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/02\/shortwave-shutdowns-ark-warns-of-rising-censorship-and-information-gaps\/","title":{"rendered":"Shortwave Shutdowns: ARK Warns of Rising Censorship and Information Gaps"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Curtain Antennas at the Edward R. Murrow Transmitting Site.<\/p><\/div>\n

Many thanks to SWLing Post<\/em> contributor, Marc Pascoe, who, in response to this article<\/a> from The Spectator<\/em> posted last week, shared a thought-provoking piece from ARK on the dangers of phasing out shortwave broadcasts.<\/p>\n

The ARK article<\/a> highlights the critical role shortwave radio has historically played in providing access to information, particularly for rural and underdeveloped regions where internet penetration remains low. Despite digital media’s rise, approximately 37% of the global population still lacks reliable internet access, making shortwave a vital tool for delivering news, emergency alerts, and educational content. The reduction in shortwave services risks isolating these populations, especially during crises when conventional communication networks may be unavailable or compromised.<\/p>\n

Additionally, the article underscores the increasing vulnerability to censorship, propaganda, and misinformation as shortwave broadcasts decline. Unlike the internet, which can be easily controlled or restricted by authoritarian regimes, shortwave signals are resilient and difficult to jam. Historical examples from North Korea, Iran, and the war in Ukraine illustrate the crucial role shortwave plays in ensuring the free flow of information.<\/p>\n

Click here to read the full article on the Ark website.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Marc Pascoe, who, in response to this article from The Spectator posted last week, shared a thought-provoking piece from ARK on the dangers of phasing out shortwave broadcasts. The ARK article highlights the critical role shortwave radio has historically played in providing access to information, particularly for rural and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","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":[960,3,43],"tags":[4655],"class_list":["post-62103","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-international-broadcasting","category-news","category-shortwave-radio","tag-why-shortwave"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-g9F","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":18196,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/04\/from-the-unt-digital-library-music-usa-as-heard-in-lagos-nigeria-in-1959\/","url_meta":{"origin":62103,"position":0},"title":"From the UNT Digital Library: Music USA as heard in Lagos, Nigeria in 1959","author":"Thomas","date":"April 14, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to UNT Archivist,\u00a0Maristella Feustle, who shares the following set of recordings she recently published in the UNT Digital Library\u00a0Willis Conover collection. The description reads: \"A broadcast of Music USA transmitted by station WLWO in Cincinnati, Ohio, and recorded off of shortwave radio in Lagos, Nigeria. It was sent\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Transoceanic-Dial","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Transoceanic-Dial.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Transoceanic-Dial.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/Transoceanic-Dial.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":64466,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/11\/rnz-pacific-launches-2025-26-cyclone-watch-service-on-shortwave\/","url_meta":{"origin":62103,"position":1},"title":"RNZ Pacific Launches 2025\u201326 Cyclone Watch Service on Shortwave","author":"Thomas","date":"November 2, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Ian Millett (N3CVA), who writes: Thomas, This was posted to the RNZ website at 2 pm NZ time November 1. RNZI announces start of Pacific Cyclone Watch Service \u00a0https:\/\/www.rnz.co.nz\/international\/pacific-news\/577507\/rnz-pacific-cyclone-watch-service-activated A photo of a shortwave radio in a news article on Radio New Zealand International\u2019s\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\/2025\/11\/IMG_20200605_201148.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/IMG_20200605_201148.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/IMG_20200605_201148.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/IMG_20200605_201148.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/IMG_20200605_201148.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/IMG_20200605_201148.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":44333,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/07\/can-you-help-john-identify-a-vintage-shortwave-radio-book\/","url_meta":{"origin":62103,"position":2},"title":"Can you help John identify a vintage shortwave radio book–?","author":"Thomas","date":"July 14, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, John (KC8RZM), who writes: I wonder if anyone at SWLing can help me identify this book on shortwave listening from my childhood. It was an older book when I checked it out from the local library mid-1970s but what I remember specifically is that\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\/2018\/02\/Panasonic-RF-2200-Dial-Angle-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Panasonic-RF-2200-Dial-Angle-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Panasonic-RF-2200-Dial-Angle-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Panasonic-RF-2200-Dial-Angle-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":20291,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/08\/radio-world-the-evolution-of-shortwave-radio\/","url_meta":{"origin":62103,"position":3},"title":"Radio World: The evolution of shortwave radio","author":"Thomas","date":"August 2, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who shares the following article by James Careless in Radio World Magazine. The article includes interviews with Andy Sennitt, Kim Andrew Elliott, Nigel Fry, \u00a0and even yours truly. The following is a short excerpt taken from the introduction of the article: (Source:\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "International Broadcasting"","block_context":{"text":"International Broadcasting","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/international-broadcasting\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Panasonic-RF-2200-1","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Panasonic-RF-2200-1-1024x632.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Panasonic-RF-2200-1-1024x632.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Panasonic-RF-2200-1-1024x632.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":49697,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2021\/07\/santiago-spots-a-soviet-era-portable-in-the-queens-gambit\/","url_meta":{"origin":62103,"position":4},"title":"Santiago spots a Soviet-era portable in “The Queen’s Gambit”","author":"Thomas","date":"July 25, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Santiago Roland (CX1DR), who writes: Hi Thomas, I'm a reader of your blog since 2015 and i was looking for movies showing shortwave radio models. I ended up in your blog again, lol, and decided to write to you and tell you that your\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\/2021\/07\/vef206.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vef206.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vef206.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vef206.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vef206.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/vef206.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":18338,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/04\/radio-guinee-back-on-shortwave\/","url_meta":{"origin":62103,"position":5},"title":"Radio Guin\u00e9e back on shortwave","author":"Thomas","date":"April 18, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Check out\u00a0this news by Sheldon Harvey of The International Radio Report: As reported by many DXers worldwide, Radio Guin\u00e9e, from the Republic of Guinea in west Africa has returned to shortwave on 9650 kHz. Check between 0000 and 0300 UTC as well as around 0600 UTC. Programming is in French\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"RadioGuinee","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/RadioGuinee.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\/62103","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=62103"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62103\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":62124,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62103\/revisions\/62124"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}