Further cuts at Voice of America shortwave

[WA3VJB]

From www.dcrtv.com:

VOA Slashes Program Output - 2/2 - A whole bunch of program cuts are being made at the DC-based Voice Of America. According to former VOA talk show host Kim Andrew Elliott at kimandrewelliott.com, the international broadcaster is slashing 247 hours of shortwave transmissions per day starting the month. The move completely eliminates several hours of English language broadcasts to the Middle East, a source tells DCRTV. There's more at Glenn Hauser's "DX Listening Digest" via 44uvh.net (scroll down to the "USA" listing).....


Kim Elliott once did a show on hams on AM for his VOA program. He included off-the-air recordings of Al Brown, KZ3AB, (our Gaithersburg Hamfest benefactor who saw to it the AM Festival Station won a semi-permanent)

[Tom WA3KLR]

About a week ago I found this 23 year old report on the VOA.  It was done by MIT. 

Title - "A STUDY OF FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR THE VOICE OF AMERICA IN THE CHANGING WORLD OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING" by Ward, De Sola Pool, and Solomon.

The pdf is 146 pages, 7.6 Megabyte file.

URL :  (You may get a security note after clicking on this URL.  Just hit yes.  It will dowload o.k.)

https://hpds1.mit.edu/bitstream/1721.1/2782/1/FR-1296-11602491.pdf

It was interesting to me.

[K1MVP]

From www.dcrtv.com:

VOA Slashes Program Output - 2/2 - A whole bunch of program cuts are being made at the DC-based Voice Of America. According to former VOA talk show host Kim Andrew Elliott at kimandrewelliott.com, the international broadcaster is slashing 247 hours of shortwave transmissions per day starting the month. The move completely eliminates several hours of English language broadcasts to the Middle East, a source tells DCRTV. There's more at Glenn Hauser's "DX Listening Digest" via 44uvh.net (scroll down to the "USA" listing).....


Kim Elliott once did a show on hams on AM for his VOA program. He included off-the-air recordings of Al Brown, KZ3AB, (our Gaithersburg Hamfest benefactor who saw to it the AM Festival Station won a semi-permanent)

Hey Paul,
Next question is,-- will there be further "cuts" at the ARRL in the near future?--after
the FCC reviews the comments on these "new" bandwidth proposals and tells
them(ARRL) to "get their act together.

Or will some guy`s "at the top" decide to "bail out" before the aircraft "hits the deck"
and crashes?
As I mentioned earlier,--this year will prove to be an "interesting year" for ham radio.

                                       73, K1MVP
                                           
 

[Tom WA3KLR]

From my point of view it would be safe to say that every year has proven to be an interesting year for ham radio.

[K1MVP]

From my point of view it would be safe to say that every year has proven to be an interesting year for ham radio.

Ok,--and while you believe that "notion",--I DO NOT ever recall a year like this past
one in 46+ years in ham radio, BUT I could be wrong.(infighting and all)

Never do I remember the ARRL "drawing fire" as bad as they have in the past few
months,--gee I wonder why?
                                              73, K1MVP
 
P.S,--If you see "good leadership" from the ARRL, and think they have not contributed
       to this "mess", what with the "dumbing down" of exams, etc, then we ARE NOT
       on the "same page".
P.P.S-- Am "running out of fuel"--time to head back home.       

[k4kyv]

Never do I remember the ARRL "drawing fire" as bad as they have in the past few
months,--gee I wonder why?

They came pretty close during the Incentive Licensing debacle.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Hey Paul,
Next question is,-- will there be further "cuts" at the ARRL in the near future?--after
the FCC reviews the comments on these "new" bandwidth proposals and tells
them(ARRL) to "get their act together.

Or will some guy`s "at the top" decide to "bail out" before the aircraft "hits the deck"
and crashes?
As I mentioned earlier,--this year will prove to be an "interesting year" for ham radio.

                                       73, K1MVP
                                           

What "further cuts at the ARRL" are you talking about?? Haven't seen any, nor do I anticipate any. Presently they're looking to hire a Membership Manager, Business Services Manager, and an Assistant Editor.
As far as, "FCC reviews the Comments"
Approx. 700 comments opposed RM-11306
Let's say for giggles 50% of them are ARRL members ~ 350 members
Approx. 150,000 ARRL members
~ .2% of the membership opposed the proposal
Even if all 700 were members; it's only .5% of the membership
Where's the beef??

ARRL is already talking about their centennial celebration in 2014

[W3SLK]

Maybe if the cut el Presidente' that would suffice.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Maybe if the cut el Presidente' that would suffice.

ARRL President position is an uncompensated, volunteer post.

[W3SLK]

Tell me Sumner doesn't get paid!!!!

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Tell me Sumner doesn't get paid!!!!

Sumner is not the President and yes, he is a salaried employee.

President:
Joel Harrison, W5ZN
528 Miller Rd
Judsonia, AR 72081
501-729-4152
w5zn@arrl.org

First Vice President:
Kay C. Craigie, N3KN
5 Faggs Manor Ln
Paoli, PA 19301
610-993-9623
n3kn@arrl.org

Second Vice President:
Rick Roderick, K5UR
PO Box 1463
Little Rock, AR 72203
501-988-2527
k5ur@arrl.org

International Affairs Vice President:
Rod Stafford, W6ROD
5155 Shadow Estates
San Jose, CA 95135
w6rod@arrl.org

Chief Executive Officer:
David Sumner, K1ZZ

Secretary:
David Sumner, K1ZZ

Treasurer:
James McCobb Jr., K1LU

Chief Financial Officer:
Barry J. Shelley, N1VXY

Chief Operating Officer
Harold Kramer, WJ1B

Chief Development Officer:
Mary Hobart, K1MMH

Chief Technology Officer:
Paul Rinaldo, W4RI

[Tom WA3KLR]

Please keep the ARRL rants out of this VOA topic, thanks.

Washington Post article on VOA:

Voice of America to Concentrate on Mideast -
 Board Decides to De-Emphasize English Radio Broadcasts, Stress TV and the Internet


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/13/AR2006021301896.html

Another article - Scripps Howard News Service:

 VOA is DOA in Bush budget

http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?action=detail&pk=SCHRAM-02-07-06

[W3SLK]

Tom,
     That may not be a dead issue after all. I heard recently that Condaleza Rice requested $75 million for democracy in Iran. A big part is to be used to beam VOA to Iran to help let the minority where we stand. I'm not trying to be political here, just reporting what I heard on the news.

[w3jn]

Many foreigners used to listen to the VOA and AFRTS in order to learn English.

The key here is 'used to'.  Having lived overseas on 3 different continents and having travelled to about 70 countries, I haven't seen many people listening to shortwave anymore.  The exception is Cuba, where the US Interest Section gives out inexpensive shortwave radios to Cubans who listen to Radio Marti.  But they listen to news, baseball games, etc., in Spanish rather than try and learn english.  That's what happens in a Communist dictatorship where one man controls everything the citizens might hear.

The AM Radio Marti is easily received in Havana by strategically rotating the radio, nulling out the killer local Radio Rebelde on the same frequency.  All Cubans I talked to about this were well aware of how to do it.  TV Marti is another animal, it is receivable in areas outside of Havana but as Phil said it's relatively easily jammed.

Face it, SWBC is slowly dying.

73 John

[Tom WA3KLR]

Well. now Defense Secretary Rumsfeld realizes that we need to attend to the  propaganda war in the MIddle East:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060217/pl_nm/security_rumsfeld_dc

[K1MVP]

Please keep the ARRL rants out of this VOA topic, thanks.

Washington Post article on VOA:

Voice of America to Concentrate on Mideast -
 Board Decides to De-Emphasize English Radio Broadcasts, Stress TV and the Internet


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/13/AR2006021301896.html

Another article - Scripps Howard News Service:

 VOA is DOA in Bush budget

http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?action=detail&pk=SCHRAM-02-07-06

Ok Tom,

I am "confused"--on the one hand you mention keeping the ARRL out of this
"VOA" topic,--and at the bottom of this post you bring in the "Bush budget",
and on your recent posting you mention Cheney,--I am really "confused" now,
How we got from the VOA topic to national politics, and we cannot discuss
the ARRL topic?
This must be the "age of confusion", as the ARRL is "confused", IMO.

                                          73, K1MVP

P.S, I stand corrected,--it was Mr. Rumsfield you mentioned,--boy I am really
      "confused",--hope I can find my "horse" to get home.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Just a thought:
Before we get too intertwined in politics here with Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, et al, you might want to consider taking the political side of the discussion over to the AM Inquirer. It's a more suitable place to hold this type of discussion. Likewise, I'm also guilty of adding to the ARRL piece even though we have an ARRL forum to discuss issues, concerns, and "holy cow-what are they doing now".

Let's keep everybody happy.

[K1MVP]

Just a thought:
Before we get too intertwined in politics here with Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, et al, you might want to consider taking the political side of the discussion over to the AM Inquirer. It's a more suitable place to hold this type of discussion. Likewise, I'm also guilty of adding to the ARRL piece even though we have an ARRL forum to discuss issues, concerns, and "holy cow-what are they doing now".

Let's keep everybody happy.

  "Holy Cow"--hmmm,--sounds to me like how many hams feel about the ARRL,
 the "sacred cow"  of amateur radio.

  "lets keep everybody happy"--another "fallacy', IMO

   There is/was an old saying, as I recall--"you can please some of the people all of
   the time, or all of the people some of the time, BUT NOT ALL of the people ALL
   of the time.

   I would think you would know this as a "business person" Pete.

                                          73, K1MVP

                                                 

[W1DAN]

Hi:

I am saddened at the downsizing of the VOA. As a kid I listened to it alot.

I would be interested in any recordings of the english programs, as wel as any tech trivia.

How do I get a copy of the Yankee Doodle theme and Willis Conover's Jazz shows?

73
Dan
W1DAN

[Tom WA3KLR]

Hi Dan,

As far as tech trivia, if you haven't already done so, read the 146 page pdf/link that I posted on the second post of this topic, my first post. It was a study commissioned by the government before spending more money to upgrade the VOA at the time, 1983.

[W3SLK]

When I was in the military, we would listen to the BBC, VOA, and Radio Moscow just to get the proper perspective of the world news. I remember having all those R-390A's and R-1051's and not using them for other than SWL

[W1DAN]

Hi Tom:

I have downloaded the report. I have not read it yet.

Thanks lots for posting it!!!

Today I taped some VOA English to Africa for when I am old, lost my teeth and senile.

73
Dan
W1DAN