Re: [Swprograms] RNW to end shortwave usage to North America as ofthe B-08 schedule change

[Kevin Anderson <k9iua@xxxxxxxxx>]

I wasn't thinking necessarily of a nuclear exchange per se (although I don't negate that entirely), but at least something more likely, that of a Post-Oil society, which I know is coming as that resource, which we are so utterly dependent on, is finite and we are already at or past peak oil production.  (Google "peak oil" to learn more of what I mean.)  

Either way, a world is coming requiring much simpler technology, hopefully still including postal mail delivery, limited electricity, maybe limited telephone, but I am also hoping analogue radio of a level much like what we had in the 1920 to 1940s.  Digital would be far too sophisticated for this world.  Computers, if they exist, will be limited once again to back-office financial or government uses.  And to me the shift of television to digital put the nail in that technology's coffin for tomorrow's world.  Satellites, let alone internet, won't be part of this world either, leaving only over-the-air shortwave radio as a means to serve potentially any large number of people outside of limited government circles with news beyond a local area.

Again, I can't fault the short-term decisions by international broadcasters to reduce over-the-air transmissions due to financial decisions.  What bothers me most of all, given my perspective quickly outlined above, is that it will also leave these same broadcasters potentially poorly positioned to step back into filling this void as it will likely become necessary later.  But maybe that has already happened with all the shortwave transmission facilities around the world already privatized and outside a broadcaster's ready access.  RNW's current demolition of the Flevoland facility leaves them, if I am not mistaken, without a local shortwave transmission facility except those accessible to them only by satellite and possibly backup leased lines.  For that matter, most broadcasters are in this same boat, with transmission facilities remote from program origination points and all subject to being cutoff in tomorrow's world.  This is in part what I meant by
 "security" in my earlier posts.

Kevin Anderson

--- On Fri, 9/19/08, Scott Royall <royall@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> From: Scott Royall <royall@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: [Swprograms] RNW to end shortwave usage to North America as ofthe B-08 schedule change
> To: "'Shortwave programming discussion'" <swprograms@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: Friday, September 19, 2008, 11:21 PM
> Very true.
> 
> > > think that you are alluding to a post-apocalyptic
> situation, where
> > > technology would be effectively rolled back. I
> submit that you and I
> > > probably won't be around in that case. We
> most certainly won't be
> > > casually
> > > discussing it over the internet.
> >
> > And, let me add not to put too fine a point on things,
> that we
> > probably wouldn't want to be around anyway.
> >
> > John Figliozzi



      
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