Musings of the Membership, June 2003
Musings
These Musings, taken from this month’s Journal, deal with the FCC proposal to introduce broadband Internet service over power lines. This has the potential to destroy the ability to receive shortwave signals. Please read this, as well as this month’s Technical Topics column, and take appropriate action.
Paul Brouillette, 611 Illinois Street, Geneva, IL 60134
Recently, the FCC has issued a Notice of Inquiry seeking public comments on what they are calling Broadband Over Power Line (BPL) deployment in the US. BPL is also known as Power Line Communications (PLC) in Europe and elsewhere. With this system, electric power lines are used to transmit broadband services (Internet, etc.), instead of using coax or fiber optic cable. The logic is that power lines go everywhere without having to run expensive coax or fiber optic cable all over the country.
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Easy Listening, July 2001
Save the BBC World Service! Radio Netherlands to the Rescue!
NOTE: Information was changing hourly, it seemed, as I was finishing this on June 28th. Check the websites referenced below for updated information.
Since the BBC has not indicated it will change its plans to end its transmissions targeting North America and Australasia on July 1st, Merlin Communications, the operator of BBC’s transmitters, has sold the use of those transmitters and times targeting North America to Radio Netherlands for English-language programming beginning that day. From a Radio Netherlands press release, “The publicity campaign is designed to recognize and support the millions of short-wave radio owners in North America who still believe in direct contact with Europe from across the Atlantic.” Here are the times and frequencies that will have Radio Netherlands programming by the time you read this; thanks to Kim Elliott for formatting the list.
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Easy Listening, June 2001
BBC World Service to Drop Shortwave to North America on July 1, 2001
Sadly, this is not an April Fool’s joke hatched two months late. Kim Elliott, host of Communications World on the Voice Of America, broke this news to the electronic shortwave community on May 8th. Andy Sennitt of Radio Netherlands confirmed the information, and Kim included an interview with Jerry Timmins, the head of the Americas stream for the BBC World Service (BBCWS) in his program the following Saturday. The BBC states that frequencies targeting the Caribbean and elsewhere in the Americas will continue, so we’ll theoretically still be able to hear the BBCWS in transmissions targeting the Caribbean, South America, Europe, and Africa. However, it’s expected that the 5965 and 9515 kHz morning frequencies and 6175 and 9590 kHz evening frequencies will no longer be used.
Shortwave will also curtailed to Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific; since most NASWAns are North Americans, I’ll focus this month’s Journal column on the consequences for North American listeners.
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Easy Listening, September 2000
The Olympics via Shortwave
The Olympics presents a rare opportunity to compare and contrast perspectives on a single event that directly involves most of the world’s countries. By comparison, a significant news event (e.g. the Kursk submarine disaster) enables multiple perspectives, but there weren’t more than 100 countries directly involved in the events themselves.
Some stations will provide extensive additional coverage; others will briefly mention the Olympics but will continue with normal programming to provide a listening alternative to media saturation of Olympic proportions. Here are some suggestions:
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Easy Listening, April 2000
BBC World Service: New Schedules
The biggest news in April for program listeners is the major reshuffling of BBC World Service program schedules into 8 regional streams. The Americas now has its own program stream, instead of “sharing” one with Europe. Practically speaking, though, the time slots for non-news programs are reasonably consistent in the two services.
The BBC is also finally launching an all-news stream, primarily for rebroadcasters, that stream will be available via internet audio as well. Shortwave streams will be a mix of the news stream and feature programming, designed to provide programs with consistent subjects at consistent times during the day.
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Easy Listening Extra, April 2000
This Easy Listening Extra comes courtesy of the BBC Press Office. This schedule reflects the first full week of the new BBC schedule, which goes into effect on April 3rd.
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Shortwave Center, April 2000
DX Target: Mongolia
A Look At Broadcasting In A Remote Asian Country
By Richard A. D’Angelo
One of the most isolated countries in the world is the Republic of Mongolia. Like Switzerland in Europe, this Asian country is land locked. After years of Communist dominated governments, Mongolia has now adopted a free market system. While not the most modern of countries, Mongolia is making great strides. Its broadcasting structure allows it to reach a significant portion of the world with its high-powered transmitters. In this DX Target, we take a look at the country and its broadcasting activities.
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Technical Topics, April 2000
The NASWA Short-wave Simulator
Short-wave listeners have recently discovered the many radio stations, available free for the listening, via the Internet. With RealAudio’s Real Player 7.0, and Windows Media Player software, streaming audio has never sounded better. Stations from all over the world are just a mouse click away. Some stations are even in stereo. CBC Radio Two from Toronto streams a beautiful stereo signal as do WQXR in New York and KING-FM in Seattle. All four BBC domestic radio services are now available 24 hours a day.
As more and more of us get cable TV modems or DSL service via our telephone lines, we can all listen 24 hours a day to any station of our choice. And we can listen at higher data rates than previously possible on ordinary dial-up modems. What a wonderful time to be alive.
But every sunny day has a dark cloud lurking just below the horizon. Something is wrong. While I was at the SWL Winterfest last year I became aware of an ominous trend among NASWA’s program listeners. Can the sound actually be too good?
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NASWA Notes, March 2000
In just a few days time, the 13th annual Winter SWL Festival will be held in Kulpsville. March 10 and 11 will be big days in the radio monitoring hobby as Rich Cuff, John Figliozzi and a pile of hobby folk bring together this annual tradition in the listening community. It’s never too late to register to attend this wonderful event. The program will offer a little something for everyone who attends and there will be a few surprises mixed in to keep everyone on their toes. If you have not registered, please do so now. Don’t miss out! Check out the Calendar of Events and the registration form, which is in this edition of the Journal.
March is a busy month with two special events. The first is the Winter SWL Festival mentioned in the opening. The second is the North American DX Championships (NADXC). If you can’t be in Kulpsville, then you should be competing in the NADXC organized by our own Harold Cones. Dr. DX promises another terrific opportunity for members to lose sleep and perform anti-social behaviors for the good of the shortwave listening hobby. Check prior issues of the Journal for complete contest rules and information. Let’s try to boost the number of NASWA members that participate in this event.
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Scoreboard, March 2000
Hello, and welcome once again to the NASWA scoreboard. This month we highlight our members European totals. The next deadline is May 15th for the June issue of the Journal. The spotlight then will be on North America. Please update your totals at least once a year to remain on the scoreboard, and remember to use the NASWA Country List for counting totals. Thanks to all of our regular contributors, and welcome to those joining the scoreboard for the first time.
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