Re: [Swprograms] [Internetradio] Radio Australia

[Richard Cuff <rdcuff@xxxxxxxxx>]

Over the past 10+ years, one of the fundamental changes in how
international broadcasters operate is that broadcasters have become
selective and purposeful in identifying audiences to serve.  The BBC
was one of the first to do this, focusing on "opinion formers", if you
remember their stated approach in 2001 when they cut English shortwave
broadcasts to North America.

Simply reaching the largest possible audience is no longer the goal.
Rather, the goal is to identify a specifically defined target audience
segment, and then figure out the best way to reach that segment.

If that means abandoning your existing audience, so be it, if you
don't believe that existing audience serves your national purpose.

To Rob's point, if the people one believes are important to reach are
those in the major capitals, or in the Internet-rich areas of South
Korea and Japan, then that's where one puts the effort...shortwave be
damned.

This line of thinking is diametrically opposed to the thinking that
drove the establishment and growth of international broadcasting from
the 1920s to, say, 1990.  In those days, bigger was better...you
wanted to reach the largest possible audience as reliably as possible.
You didn't worry about "targeting" -- the concept really hadn't
developed yet.  This approach was serendipitous for the listener...in
these pre-Internet days...because those who wanted to hear diverse
voices had no alternatives available to them.

While this trend is understandable, it's also parochial and grievously
short-sighted.  Humanity will be less-informed, less aware of diverse
views, and less sensitive to the plight of the "have nots".

This is not a good thing...

Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA  USA



On Tue, Jul 15, 2014 at 3:50 PM, Rob de Santos <rdesantos@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> One only has to travel
> that region to understand that outside of a few major capitals and parts of
> China, Japan, and South Korea shortwave remains vitally important.
>
>
> A sad day as the voices on shortwave will be further diminished.
>
> --
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