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.
“It is a beautiful station, with good equipment, and ideal for reaching North, Central and South America, but the number of hours we are broadcasting from the station has been steadily falling in recent years. We anticipate that by the end of 2012, the number of hours will be so small that it would be too costly to maintain the station. That doesn’t mean we will stop shortwave immediately, as we will lease time on other stations in the region, for example Montsinery in French Guiana and Sackville in Canada. So the closure of Bonaire doesn’t automatically mean that we are giving up shortwave.”
on Jan 25th, 2011 at 16:37
Big News.
I saw this station when it was under construction, in 1965.
Later when I worked for RNW I could hear my own voice over the Bonaire transmitters.
Bad news for the people on the island, not many job oportunities there.
on Jan 25th, 2011 at 16:43
How did it went with the 3 x 500kW’s in Sweden?? Do RN intend to buy it or not??
on Jan 25th, 2011 at 17:04
Where would we put them?
on Jan 25th, 2011 at 18:33
Will Be a Sad day
on Jan 25th, 2011 at 21:18
“That doesn’t mean we will stop shortwave immediately”. Oh dear, the addition of “immediately” sounds worrying.
on Jan 26th, 2011 at 13:50
Andy, how can you or someone from the RN staff be contacted for a news story on the DX Audio Service?
on Jan 26th, 2011 at 14:10
Replied to #6 by email.
on Jan 26th, 2011 at 19:06
A sad development as inevitably it will reduce listener numbers, especially in the less afluent areas where the cost of the internet is prohibitive.
on Jan 26th, 2011 at 19:26
Why should moving a transmission from Bonaire to Montsinery affect listener numbers? But of course it’s sad, as Bonaire (which I visited in the 1980s) is indeed one of the most beautiful shortwave sites in the world. And it means an end to shortwave broadcasting from Dutch territory, as we already closed Flevo a few years ago. But we can’t afford to be sentimental - we have to make tough decisions.