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Shortwave For Good

Re-thinking International Broadcasting in a Changing

Global Landscape

Empathy

Why is Shortwave On the Decline?

• Expensive to operate

• Cold War roots for many of the major broadcasters

• Poor Economy

• Proliferation of internet access

• Declining listenership

Why is Shortwave On the Decline?

• Expensive to operate

• Cold War roots for many of the major broadcasters

• Poor Economy

• Proliferation of internet access

• Declining listenership

Why invest in Shortwave?

• Affordable via private broadcasters

• Repressive regimes/areas in need of free speech

• Competitive cost per listener

• Large percentage of the world has no power and can’t afford internet

• Listenership still strong in parts of the world lacking internet access

• Still 110 million listeners of BBG stations, for example

Why Radio?

Why Radio?

• No subscription

• No regard for borders

• No app needed

• Cheap for the listener

• Multiple people can listen at once

• Even in the most developed of countries, radio still has a following

• Works during emergencies

•Radio = Information

•Radio = Education

•Radio = Open minds

Radio = Diplomacy

Shortwave For Good

The future of shortwave radio

Preconceptions about radio

“self-powered, portable audio devices that wirelessly stream content from multiple sources around the world at the speed of light.”

Convergence/Digital SW

Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM)

WBCQ – WRMI Kim’s Digital Experiment

Mobile Phones and Radio

Bill Siemering, Developing Radio Partners

A Free/Public International Radio Network?

What if…

• Use a network of public and private transmitters—shared resources

• Use existing content from partner broadcasters

• Use fixed frequencies, where possible • Use a reliable schedule • Work in conjunction with local

broadcasters • Funding through private and grant-

based sources

Results could be…

• Listeners would know where the stations are located on the spectrum

• Inexpensive as compared with traditional international broadcasting

• Information and music that could lead to a better understanding of the world

• Interactive

• Enhanced HF content through DRM?

Who could lead this?

A Network of Public and Private Broadcasters

We may need your voices

thomas@EarsToOurWorld.org