Country List Committee Report, May 2006
Last Updated on May 1, 2006 by Ralph Brandi
###Country List ClarificationNASWA’s Country List Committee is aware of some concerns regarding the use of the club’s standard Country List for purposes of the Scoreboard column and the Awards program. Hopefully, this will clarify the situation.
The committee realizes that in 2006, with fewer countries available to be heard, some DXers have little interest in counting the number of shortwave broadcasting stations and countries they hear and verify. However, because of the Scoreboard and Awards, a considerable number of club members still do retain that interest.
Because of the current state of shortwave broadcasting, there have been no new countries added to the Country List in at least several years. The Country List Committee, however, continues under its longtime mandate from the NASWA Executive Council, to monitor the world SW broadcasting situation for possible future additions to the list.
Perhaps equally important, though, the Committee also is mandated with the task of interpreting for NASWA members the use of the existing Country List.
Those NASWA members, and others with questions concerning the Country List and its usage, are encouraged to contact the committee, through its Chairman, Don Jensen (dnjkenosha@wi.rr.com ).
The Committee recently has received questions concerning the counting of pirate broadcasting stations for purposes of the NASWA Scoreboard and/or Awards. Because others may also be interested in the Committee’s response to these interpretation questions, Rich D’Angelo, NASWA Executive Director, has requested that I offer this clarification.
By past practice, tradition and actions of this committee, NASWA takes no official position on unlicensed pirate broadcasters, neither encouraging nor discouraging them, and neither encouraging nor discouraging DXers from listening to or verifying receptions of these stations.
The Committee recognizes that pirate broadcasting remains a somewhat controversial subject. Some DXers oppose unlicensed pirate broadcasting; others do not. NASWA, obviously, is made up of members who fall into both camps, or somewhere in between. Clearly, individual members will listen or not listen to them, and report or not report them, as they see fit.
The longtime position of NASWA, as expressed by the Committee, is that the club will remain neutral on this issue, but recognizes that, (1) Such stations exist. (2) They fit the basic NASWA definition of an SW broadcasting station in terms of frequency and intended audience. And therefore (3) There exists no reason not to count them, if an individual DXer chooses to tune and report them.
That position continues today.
In several cases, Scotland and Wales notably, were added to the NASWA Country List many years ago totally on the strength of existing, albeit sporadic or short-lived pirate broadcasts. Within the past 50 years, Ireland has been audible only by pirate or quasi-pirate SW broadcasts. Receptions of other foreign pirates, from Europe or elsewhere, traditionally, and today, also are counted by members for purposes of reporting the NASWA Journal Scoreboard and/or applying for club Awards.
Based on the above, and all other things being equal, pirate SW broadcasters may continue to be counted the same as, and not differently from other SW broadcasters for purposes of the Scoreboard and/or Awards.
Specifically, pirate stations may be counted for Scoreboard countries heard/verified totals and for Awards based on such totals.
The Committee hopes that this will clarify any confusion that may have existed.
NASWA COUNTRY LIST COMMITTEE
Don Jensen, Chairman