Re: [Swprograms] FW: World Service Feedback

["Mike Wolfson" <mwolfson@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I don't know enough about that kind of thing to comment on it.  I just found
the article very interesting considering the conversations we've had here
recently and what was talked about at the Fest.

Mike


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard Cuff" <rdcuff@xxxxxxxxx>
To: "Mike Wolfson" <mwolfson@xxxxxxxxxx>
Cc: "Shortwave programming discussion" <swprograms@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 11:30 AM
Subject: Re: [Swprograms] FW: World Service Feedback


> I assume you mean Graham Mytton's piece.
>
> I frankly found one problem with it -- his paragraph entitled "Nobody
> Listens to Shortwave:  They Listen to Radio".
>
> IMO some of his logic is flawed.  Finding something on shortwave -- as
> we all know -- is far different from finding something on MW or FM.  I
> wager that most people who listen to shortwave know full well that
> it's different from AM & FM, at least in Europe / North America /
> Pacific Rim countries.
>
> That logic leads the BBC to avoid making frequency announcements when
> services change frequency...because it's "no different" (says Mytton)
> than AM or FM.
>
> The fact that shortwave IS different is one reason I believe it's
> important that radio manufacturers, radio stations and listeners work
> together to inform and educate each other on the value and benefit of
> SW.  I think it's appalling that no radio manufacturers reach out to
> listeners directly.  For the past six years I have attempted to engage
> all the manufacturers targeting North America (Drake, AOR, Palstar,
> ICOM, Yaesu, Ten-Tec, Sony, Grundig/Eton, Sangean, Kaito) to dialogue
> with us listeners via the platform of the SWL Fest.  No interest.  The
> last time a radio manufacturer showed up was Lowe's John Wilson.  That
> was 10 years ago.
>
> Mytton also tries to draw a distinction between a "shortwave listener"
> and an "Internet user":  "...There is in fact no such thing as a
> shortwave listener in the way that there is, for example an Internet
> user, aside from the very small number of dedicated DXer enthusiasts."
>
> That may be, but the Pew American Life project reported in late 2004
> the following statistics on US adult Internet usage:
>
> --more than 2/3 of adults use the Internet
>
> --more than 70 million adults use the Internet daily
>
> --more than 80% of teenagers regularly use the Internet.
>
> The shortwave community in North America can only dream of this level
> of penetration.
>
> Broadcasters who serve the USA --beyond the capabilities of AM & FM to
> reach these audiences -- would be foolish to ignore those statistics.
>
> Shortwave needs to be specially treated and protected by those --
> including us -- who have a stake in its future.
>
> We listeners will fail if we try to do this ourselves without a
> coordinated effort involving all who are stakeholders in shortwave
> utilization.
>
> Meanwhile, looking at the "halcyon days" of public broadcasting, a sad
> fact of life is that, courtesy of satellite programming availability,
> public radio station program directors face the same quandary we users
> do.  They have tons of programming available for their use.  It's
> cheap or free.  Much of it is also of higher quality than what they
> could produce themselves.  These PDs are forced to make choices --
> what to air?  When?
>
> How should they choose what to put on air?
>
> Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA  USA
>
>
> On Apr 12, 2005 9:39 AM, Mike Wolfson <mwolfson@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > There's an EXCELLENT article in this month's edition of Listening In
from
> > ODXA about the current situation and mindset among the larger SW
> > broadcasters.  If Harold Sellers is reading this, I would encourage him
to
> > post it.
> >

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