As cuts in international broadcasting continue, we note that it’s exactly 10 years ago today (1 July 2001) that the BBC World Service dropped its shortwave broadcasts to North America and the Pacific Rim. At that time, Radio Netherlands still had a sizeable shortwave audience in North America, and we took the opportunity to exploit the fact that many listeners were probably unaware of the BBC’s decision, and for a couple of weeks our English service broadcast additional transmissions on frequencies that had just been vacated by BBCWS.
A listeners’ coalition was formed to urge the BBC to reconsider its decision to end shortwave broadcasts of the World Service to North America and the South Pacific. To my surprise, the website they created, www.savebbc.org, is still online. Some of the UK press were supportive of the coalition’s aims - for example, here’s an article from The Independent entitled Why the BBC’s short-wave switch-off does a disservice to the English-speaking world.
By the time RNW made the decision a few years ago to drop shortwave to North America, a number of other international broadcasters had already done so. We received some complaints, mainly from hobbyists who were not regular listeners but routinely wrote to any radio station that stopped or reduced its shortwave transmissions. Looking back, I remember saying at the time that the BBC’s decision in 2001 was not necessarily going to start a domino effect, but I guess I was being over-optimistic.
I still maintain, as I did at the time, that the BBC switched off shortwave to North America too soon. It’s impossible to know what would have happened if the decision had not been made. There’s strong evidence to suggest that our own shortwave audience started to decline significantly once the BBC stopped using 6175 kHz to North America, as anyone tuning in to RNW on 6165 kHz is likely to have discovered us while looking for the BBC transmission.
Soon, a lot of people in other parts of the world will have to manage without our shortwave transmissions - and this time it won’t be due to a strategic decision, but a financial one. Exactly what will be left of RNW following the 70 percent budget cut will become clearer over the next few months.
on Jul 2nd, 2011 at 08:35
Hello There,
At the current ripe young age of 58 years, I was an avid listener to short wave radio back in the 1970s through to the early 1990s. Shortwave was thee platform of long distance radio station delivery back then.
Shortwave radio is a bit like steam locomotion for ships and trains, there is an unrivaled thrill factor and nostalgic emotion when using them, but at the same time acknowledging deep down that these performing methods belong to a bygone era.
For the life of me, I cannot imagine any of the up and coming ipod generation tolerating the short comings of short wave reception. I can imagine the same ipod generation discovering good quality radio channels on a wifi radio, internet radio or indeed listening to radio services piggy backed on a television satellite system with good clear audio quality.
Away back in the late 1960s and early 70s, I used to listen to Mike Raven’s Rhythm and Blues programme on BBC Radio 1 on many a Sunday evening. BBC Radio 1’s output was then exclusively on 1214 KHz medium wave.
The 1214 KHz frequency at that time was shared with Radio Tirana’s high powered transmission to China, accompanied with the USSR and pro soviet east European governments jamming transmission noise which attempted to block out Radio Tirana and as a by product, partially blocked out the BBC Radio 1 signal as well. Again, the current younger generation brought up with MP3 players and iPod docking stations will never tolerate co-channel interference.
I sincerely believe wifi radio or satellite radio is now the platform of delivery, rather than analogue shortwave for developed nations. The DRM organisation and its digital radio solution, saviour of analogue short wave radio, has failed to deliver the product to shelves of electrical retailers in the UK and elsewhere!
Stating all that, I am against analogue radio switch off for digital, I believe the bulk of the listening public in the UK and other countries, prefer digital and analogue radio to peacefuly coexist together for the long term.
Kind Regards..Willie in Scotland
on Jul 2nd, 2011 at 13:23
A look into the files: The closure came officially into force on 1 July 2001 at 0800 UT, thus after the end of the 30 June 2001 transmissions of which the swan song came from Delano/California (as well known a transmitter site that no longer exists at all), 0400-0700 UT on 6135 kHz.
RNW stepped in immediately, and as of 1 July 2001 “test transmissions” run from Delano 0000-0200 on 9590 kHz (75°), 0200-0400 on 6135 kHz (20°), 0400-0700 on 6175 kHz (20°), 1200-1630 on 9515 kHz (75°), 1300-1600 on 11865 kHz (89° – all for Canada; yeah, sure) and from Sackville 1000-1200 on 5965 kHz, 1400-1600 on 15220 kHz, 1700-1800 on 17840 kHz, 2200-2400 on 9590 kHz, 2200-0400 on 6175 kHz (azimuths 240…285°). No former BBC slots at Okeechobee (WYFR) were involved from the start it seems. Planned program audio was some “rnx” feed, somehow the whole thing ended up in a loop that became famous as the “All Jonathan, all the time” format after no routing could be arranged at such short notice if I recall correct. This run for two weeks until 14 July 2001. Then:
“Following their sucessful test transmissions to North America on the vacated BBC frequencies, Radio Netherlands (RNW) are starting two permanent extra transmissions as from Sunday July 15th. This EXS cancels the test transmissions and sets up the permanent transmissions. For the 1027 - 1225 GMT transmission, the programme feed will appear as Chain Source RNW2, which should be fed to Chain 81 as described below. Sackville will obtain the feed for the 1427 - 1625 GMT transmission from a local satellite, as Chain 81 is already in use at that time.”
I think back then there was also a direct airtime exchange between RNW and RCI, so who knows why Merlin did bother with any routing via Bush House at all, especially when they were not even able to maintain it for both the slots they arranged. Anyway the final 1027-1125 was on 5965 kHz (240°) and the 1427-1625 on 15220 kHz (285°).
From the German angle the big caesura was 26 March 1999, when the BBC terminated its German service, with very much the same reasons given than two years later in North America, the infamous “opinion formers and decision makers”. One of the highlights of the farewell programme was a remark of piercing sarcasm that “you, as we all know, perfectly understand English”.
This closure set off a domino effect as well, no thanks for that. Today, after RFI pulled the plug in last December, the only German service from a foreign broadcaster that still has an audience outside the hobbyist scene (not a big one, but at least more than nothing) is that of Voice of Russia.
And I fear the next domino effect has just been set off, with RNW being just the next stone in the row.
on Jul 2nd, 2011 at 17:58
Kai, the reason that the broadcasts were not routed via Bush House is that the BBC would not allow it. On 1 July 2001 the first broadcast did go via Bush House, but when senior BBC management found out about it, they were furious. They had not anticipated that anyone would be so quick off the mark in taking over their old frequencies. I recall that “Incandescent with rage” was the phrase used at the time. We didn’t explain that at the time as we didn’t think it was in our interests to start a public war of words with the BBC.
So Jonathan had to go into the studio and record some material on CD, which was sent to Sackville to play out from the transmitter site until an alternative solution could be arranged. I can’t recall the details, but I remember it did take some days to sort out. That’s why the “All Jonathan, all the time” format originated. It was not intended to be that way, but we had to improvise quickly.
on Jul 2nd, 2011 at 19:56
Despite heavy criticism at the time, the BBC decision has been vindicated. Its radio audience in the US is vastly higher now than at any time.
on Jul 2nd, 2011 at 21:43
True, but a large proportion of the total in the US is people who listen to BBC news via public radio stations. They are not listening to the range of programmes that the World Service used to offer on shortwave. And, given that many of the people who used to listen to the BBC on shortwave don’t live in range of a public station that carries BBC news programmes, the BBC audience is now concentrated in the larger cities. So in terms of raw numbers, the audience may have increased, but IMHO public service broadcasting should be about more than just raw numbers. But perhaps I’m old-fashioned
on Jul 3rd, 2011 at 06:00
Proper advertising of shortwave services would help in obtaining more listeners. In a way, the internet could easily provide that advertising of radio. The two can help and compliment each other. Not everyone is around the computer all day or have dedicated mobile connections (nor would want to use their limited, capped cellular data plans).
With more efficient technology in both the transmitters and receivers, today’s shortwave broadcasts could still be viable and important for international broadcasting. Look at most broadcaster’s websites, and the frequency and time schedules are buried in a number of clicks. Make this information stand out and easy to find, and perhaps more people would see the importance of not completely relying on the internet for broadcasts.
on Jul 3rd, 2011 at 11:25
For my part applies what Wolf Harranth once remarked: I prefer to remain a dinosaur.
I proceed from the assumption that the BBC World Service has no problem with no longer serving audiences in the rural areas of the USA where also broadband internet connections may be rare. They are after the “opinion formers and decision makers” who tend to live in the large cities. And who tend to rather not listen to longer programmes of various genres, so it presumably does not bother the BBC World Service either that these larger numbers of listeners get their news programmes only.
There is nothing wrong at all with trying to reach as much influential people as possible. But in my opinion public service broadcasting should leave no doubt about being there for everyone, also for Joe Sixpack somewhere in the middle of America or for Lieschen Müller that does not speak English. And it was not that BBC World Service would no longer have been able to do that, at least they did not say so a decade ago. Thus I have no sympathy for them now, in the current situation. Are they seeking support now? Sorry, not from this side. Go elsewhere. If the friends of your choice do not care: Bad luck.
RNW is the best example for a different approach in this regard, also for real communication instead of shallow PR blabbering (just take as an example the BBC’s Orwellian style of always announcing the termination of shortwave transmissions as “change”). I also classified the cancellation of RNW English to North America as the decisive point at which shortwave ceased to be a relevant distribution platform in the USA and Canada. And I fear I have to assume that what will now happen with RNW could be a milestone of similar significance.
on Jul 3rd, 2011 at 15:58
Hi all. I think I can answer some of Kai’s questions since I was Programme Director at the time. Just posted the original programme on the vintage vault together with a short explanation. http://jonathanmarks.libsyn.com/radio-netherlands-shortwave-of-publicity-july-1-2001 Judge for yourselves. At the time, the control room for Merlin was inside Bush House. They decided not long after that since the BBC was no longer their only client, they would set up their own facilities. Merlin is now Babcock and they have a very impressive control room in another part of London.