RNW Bonaire relay station will close in October 2012

[k9rzz]

Still time to get this one in your logs.


RNW Bonaire relay station will close in October 2012

Radio Netherlands Worldwide has made the decision to close its Bonaire shortwave station in October 2012. RNW’s Head of Programme Distribution, Jan Willem Drexhage, said the closure was regrettable, but stressed that this was a financial decision, and doesn’t mean that RNW has imminent plans to drop shortwave.

I tracked down some photos and put them up: http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc54/biffbradford/Radio/Bonaire/?albumview=slideshow

Now, this transmitter site is different from the medium wave site. I believe that one is on the other side of the island.

 

[SCPD]

K9RZZ, I'd like your opinion. Are the big international SW broadcasters curtailing their service simply because they don't have the money anymore, or is it because the Internet and cell phone radio apps have rendered these types of services obsolete?

Don't get me wrong. Back in the '80s I loved to play around with my 1954 vintage Hallicrafters tube job with a simple copper wire antenna. My most prized pickup was Radio Nigeria Kaduna, the domestic shortwave service of Radio Nigeria on 4770 KHz.

But, just tonight, on my Android phone I listened to a sports talk station in Wellington, New Zealand cover a big international cricket match. I also listened to BBC World Service talk about the safety of the World's food supply. Finally, I listened to Rasta music on a Jamaican radio station.

Do you think the Internet will be the eventual demise of the SW hobby?

Dave
KA6TJF

 

[k9rzz]

The internet has a huge impact in all parts of life in western society, but who in Nigeria, Guatemala, or heck, most of Mexico is walking around with an Android?

Shortwave radio is here to stay, but it's in flux like everything else.

Personally, I think the world is going down, but hopefully not until I'm gone. =:^]

 

[mondomusique]

I read an interview with Jeff White of WRMI in photocopied magazine Signals #4 Signals (plug for Signals zine) in which Jeff talked at length about the challenges to shortwave radio yet why it continues to be relevant.

One part jumped out at me in particular, in relation to Egypt this weekend and how the internet, cell and SMS networks were shut down almost totally there:

"Shortwave has often been called "crisis radio," and that is also true. Whenever there is a war, a political crisis, an earthquake, hurricane, tsunami, etc., shortwave is often the only viable means of communication. Amateur radio operators use shortwave to get informatiion OUT of those areas, and international broadcasters use shortwave to get information INTO those areas. This is not likely to change anytime in the near future."

I feel as long as the ionosphere keeps propogating radio waves at night, somebody will use it to broadcast over a wide geographic area. It may be pirate shortwave stations using ham radio gear to get an uncontrolled message out there. Lot of potential for shortwave pirate activity as government broadcasters begin to favor internet and cell networks.

Right now China has a big presence on the shortwave bands, putting a positive view of their country out to the world. Will competitor nations simply stand back and let China dominate the shortwave scene? Right now I can more easily hear CRI talk about what's good in Beijing than I can find a BBC, VOA or Deutche Welle frequency here in North America. Seems like a short-sighted idea to me, to let China's authoritarian government dominate HF broadcasting.

I think between pirates and competing nations, shortwave will continue to be a contended (and exciting) medium to tune in to.

 

[k9rzz]

Cuba has a huge presence as well. North Korea probably does on the US west coast, although a bit tough to hear here in the midwest.

 

[mondomusique]

Yeah, its super interesting to listen to the *Axis of Evil* direct on radio taking their best propoganda shots. I never heard North Korea, but the most interesting was hearing Iran "Voice of Justice" English hour to North America on 7250khz during 2010 until VoRussia jumped on top on that frequency (damn).

Really, every government broadcaster is on there to get a point across, some are subtle, some not at all.

But from the perspective of freedom, shortwave / skywave propogation seems to have definite advantages that the internet or blackberry or iphone just don't have - that will keep it interesting going forward. I hope that shortwave becomes a popular medium for citizen communication experiments, call it pirate radio or whatever.

 

[k9rzz]

I'll make the call now and name this period of time the "last hurrah" of Shortwave *as we know it*.

BBC is planning some big cutbacks: BBC - Press Office - BBC World Service cuts

So, fill up your logs with everything you can hear now, because chances are good that the bands will not sound the same in 5 years time!

Good or bad? Who knows, but it will be different.

 

[k9rzz]

Ha! Here 'ya go:

BBC to close 5 services, end short wave Hindi radio service - The Economic Times

allAfrica.com: Rwanda: BBC to Shut Down Short Wave Kinyarwanda Broadcast

Thought Leader » David Smith » A lament for radio in Africa

 

[ridgescan]

You mean they're not going to stay around to feed my hobby anymore??? I'm gonna write some letters man!

 

[k9rzz]

Absolutely write some letters. Send along some reception details and get a QSL as well. Before it's too late!

 

[ridgescan]

I better start getting some cards-true. Mike pointed me to one and I may be getting one soon here-but seriously-those guys couldn't care less how we feel stateside I'm sure. We don't fit the agendas.