BBC World Service Cutbacks.

[HUGH]

In 2014 the BBC World Service is to lose it's funding from the Foreign Office, a section of the British Government. The whole setup will leave Bush House, it's London home for decades, and be shoehorned into Broadcasting House where it will share studios with the four, non-commercial, national radio services.

There are still millions of people round the world who relay on "short wave" broadcasting for information from overseas, the World Service has already seen a substantial cutback some years ago and now it will be funded by the British TV licence payer.

A licence in the UK allows access to four non-commercial, national, terrestrial TV channels and a host of commercial stations, good and wasted, plus any satellite services (for which the viewer pays extra). Add to this four national, non-commercial radio stations, several non-commercial digital stations, a host of local non-commercial stations and a stack of commercial ones, analogue and digital which are largely playlist transmissions.

This looks like good value for money but I can't help thinking some sacrifices will have to be made. There's already been an uproar about suggested closure of a minority interest digital music station so what's going to be axed?

How does the US overseas broadcasting system work these days, both physically and financially?

[WØTKX]

It's an arm of propaganda really... Voice of America and all that.

Too bad about the BBC. I'm a listener, via shortwave and NPR.

But, the UK is deep into the austerity gobshite. Sigh.

[K7SGJ]

It's an arm of propaganda really... Voice of America and all that.

Too bad about the BBC. I'm a listener, via shortwave and NPR.

But, the UK is deep into the austerity gobshite. Sigh.

Yeah, me, too. I listen to it in the morning. It on from about 0100 to 0500 MST (no DST here neener neener neener), then NPR broadcasting begins.

[NQ6U]

Yeah, me, too. I listen to it in the morning. It on from about 0100 to 0500 MST (no DST here neener neener neener), then NPR broadcasting begins.

AZ and the West Coast are running on the same time for the rest of the summer, something I used to appreciate when I was driving for Knight Transportation, which is based in Phoenix. I could keep the watch I used to fill out my logbook set to the time at my QTH.

[N2RJ]

How does the US overseas broadcasting system work these days, both physically and financially?

As far as I know, most of it is now beamed to Africa and parts of Asia. We have one transmitter stateside and another on São Tomé which was famously the QTH of S9SS who retired a few years ago.

Financially, it is funded by the taxpayers to the tune of $206 million.

For most of it they've gone Internet now. The Clinton admin cut back a ton of it after the cold war. There are also specific broadcasts towards the Middle East (Radio Sawa) and Cuba (Radio y Televisión Martí). Cuba jams the SW signals of course, which originate out of CA and NC. Martí is independent from the VOA and has a budget of $15M.

I still listen to the BBC world service via Sirius XM Satellite radio, but I also listen to the domestic services (radio 1, 2, 4, 5 live) via internet. 5 live is especially interesting during major news events such as incidents of civil unrest in the UK.

[N2RJ]

It's an arm of propaganda really... Voice of America and all that.

Even though it probably is, they do have policies such as a requirement for independent verification from 2 sources. That makes them better than most private US news sources.

Of course there have been accusations of shady practices such as jamming and then there are the propaganda broadcasts to Cuba although those aren't officially part of the VOA... that's why you trust no one and verify your sources on your own.

[HUGH]

As far as I know, most of it is now beamed to Africa and parts of Asia. We have one transmitter stateside and another on São Tomé which was famously the QTH of S9SS who retired a few years ago.

Financially, it is funded by the taxpayers to the tune of $206 million.

For most of it they've gone Internet now. The Clinton admin cut back a ton of it after the cold war. There are also specific broadcasts towards the Middle East (Radio Sawa) and Cuba (Radio y Televisión Martí). Cuba jams the SW signals of course, which originate out of CA and NC. Martí is independent from the VOA and has a budget of $15M.

I still listen to the BBC world service via Sirius XM Satellite radio, but I also listen to the domestic services (radio 1, 2, 4, 5 live) via internet. 5 live is especially interesting during major news events such as incidents of civil unrest in the UK.

Thanks for the info, thought VOA and even AFN had gone very quiet since the Clinton presidency.

[N8YX]

Gonna be really interesting when all current 'national' SWBC stations jump on the Internet as a cost-cutting measure....then some Dear Leader decides to black-hole the lot.

[XE1/N5AL]

There are still a lot of SW stations on the air, but not near as many as I remember as a kid. The number of 60 meter "tropical band" stations is nothing like it used to be. I guess that the owners of these tiny stations have gotten older (and passed away), or their old transmitters have finally given up the ghost and now sit in disrepair.

With the reach of the Internet and satellite TV, even into some of the poorest areas of the world, I'm surprised that international SW broadcasting still exists. One day, only the religious stations will be left. Even then, I don't know that some of these religious SW broadcasts are really that effective in furthering their ministry's goals. I think they are more about bragging rights to having an international audience, even if that audience is just a few people.

[ki4itv]

I'm a listener too.
This is just sad.
Didn't they take a pretty hard hit with cuts over the two previous years?
I suspect they will just disappear from radio altogether before too long.
I also suspect that these actions will be regretted later, like Fred eluded, when censorship starts playing a more persistant role in the average citizens daily life.

Screw the poor who don't have TV, cable, subscription radio, or internet access... what good are they anyway. They can't buy shit. Feed'm fish heads.
Yeppers.