DXerPaulAK
Member
Its what pays the bills... you got a better idea other then religion?
WTWW
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Its what pays the bills... you got a better idea other then religion?
GlobalNorth
Active Member
Radio Cuba = wholly government.
BBC World Service = government funded and government charter.
Radio New Zealand = government funded and government charter.
WTWW = private ownership. Religious programming, no matter how irrational or outrageous it may be, to international audiences likely allows for generous Federal tax breaks.
Most foreign states do not allow private ownership of HF radio stations. The US does and it can attract some very strange ownership.
The religious broadcasters are not necessarily looking for SWLs like you or me. They're looking for whomever tunes in that may be exposed to the message -- be it US SWLs, listeners in Third World nations, etc. To them, merely getting out the message is important. They don't expect SWLs like you or me to be open to it.
If you want to get a picture of how religious SW stations and programs view SW as a media, check out a website for a large religious broadcaster like Trans World Radio or Adventist World Radio, or even Voz Missionaria in Brazil (they have a website -- it's in Portuguese, though there is limited English translation available). They generally explain their purpose. They believe that using the SW medium is a way for getting the message out to the world. They don't expect everyone to tune in and like what they're hearing. It's making their message available that's important. Many of these SW broadcasters also use local FMs and internet podcasts, so they are multimedia operations. I think a lot of the programs you can hear on US domestics also have internet streams as well.
Religious broadcasters aren't the only ones that have used SW in this manner.
Look at the use of SW during the Cold War. Did Radio Moscow really think they were going to change the minds of US radio listeners? Does Radio Havana really think they're making Americans see things their way? Does China Radio International really think that their broadcasts to the US are really going to change minds of the average American? It's the same with VOA -- do they really think they're effectively promoting US foreign policy when they broadcast pop music to West Africa?
spilot113
Member
There are not too many business models.
Advertising? Local advertiser who want to target listeners in a foreign (far away) land are few to non-existent.
Donations? Different countries, Different currencies... You would have to take in a LOT of donations, over and over again to keep a SW operation alive, and not to mention offer compelling programming that people want to pay for.
Government funded was one such model for a long time, but the government mission is seeing other more fruitful ways to get their meessage out, internet, video, web, streaming, cell-phone apps.
Seems the viable life of a SW station is to operate as a "function hall". Different people come in to use the facilitiy for different purposes (wedding, mercy meal, retirement parties), and they will pay to use the facility, but you are only interested in attending if you are part of that specific funeral, wedding, class reunion, etc.
I would think that the best scenario is a combination of the two. Sell to time to others for religion and whatever and also provide some compelling [programming. (WRMI seems to have a combination of things.) Right now for most. it seems like it's an all or nothing situation.
But keep in mind how very expensive it is to fund, maintain, and keep a SW station on the air.....before you even think of funds for compelling programming.
DXerPaulAK
Member
One of the other pluses to WRMI is... when you buy time, you deal directly with Jeff white, the owner. Hes very pleasant, accomadating, quick and easy to deal with. Thats why I go back to them time after time when I want to have a music shindig on shortwave.
If only there were a SW station for logic and reason.......
I mean look at WTWW 5085, they didn't have religion, they had oldies and had ham radio commercials and they had to shut down due to no funds, now a religious station is in there and flourishing.
Radio New Zealand also doesn't have religion. And it's usually audible in much of the US, depending on prop of course, but it slams the West Coast reasonably well.
As for the US domestics, I have heard Radio Prague and RAE Argentina on WRMI, RAE I heard in Spanish, but it was still interesting. I could understand maybe 1/3rd of what was being said but the music was cool, too. Sometimes it's a matter of listening even if you're not 100% on the language, there's other parts of the programming that are good listening.
I guess what I'm saying is in today's SWL universe, one has to be a bit more creative in their listening than in 1991 or earlier, when the big international broadcasters were easily hear.
As for the US domestics, I have heard Radio Prague and RAE Argentina on WRMI, RAE I heard in Spanish, but it was still interesting. I could understand maybe 1/3rd of what was being said but the music was cool, too. Sometimes it's a matter of listening even if you're not 100% on the language, there's other parts of the programming that are good listening.
I guess what I'm saying is in today's SWL universe, one has to be a bit more creative in their listening than in 1991 or earlier, when the big international broadcasters were easily hear.
Grunddiigg
Member
I love shortwave listening even though there is not a lot of stuff out there although I did not start really listening until around 2013. I would've loved to have been around and listening when shortwave was in it's hayday. It must've been incredible. I hope SW can find a way because I love listening and searching for those signals. I love reading about the different old/new radios too lots of fun!
DXerPaulAK
Member
All of the programs or stations you cited are government owned/operated/funded, with the exception of WRMI.. thats where the money comes from... to compare RNZI to WTWW is like comparing winter in rural alaska and miami then conlcuding theyre the same.
Not really, because I wasn't directly comparing the two, I was referring to the fact that there are SW stations 'based on logic and reason', where religion is not their style of programming.
All SW, and all radio, depends on funding, whether private or government run. The funding determines whether the station is on the air, and the funding often determines the type of programming on the station. In the case of RNZI, if the government yanks the funding, the station goes off the air. If you work in radio, you know that funding is necessary, regardless of the source. You also know that the funding can sometimes, if not always, determine the style of programming, and whether it is religious or not.
CC333 was questioning upthread why there was so much religion on SW, and the answer is funding. Another poster stated that there should be stations that are "based on logic and reason". And there are SW stations on the air based on logic and reason. They happen to be government funded.
But there is nothing keeping someone from buying time on WRMI and broadcasting logic and reason, like Radio Prague does. You yourself have stated that you can buy time there.
All you got to do is fund it.
DXerPaulAK
Member
You were comparing them without maybe intending to... because the programming on them differs because of where the funding comes from. And thats the exact reason theyre different.
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