[GreenKeys] When high tech fails

[Harold Hallikainen]

quoting the article:

Shortwave radio has been a go-to vehicle to reach listeners in conflict
zones for decades, used to deliver crackling dispatches to soldiers in the
Persian Gulf war, send codes to spies in North Korea and pontificate
through the Iron Curtain during the Cold War. But more modern forms of
radio along with the internet eventually pushed shortwave out of favor;
the BBC retired its shortwave transmissions in Europe 14 years ago.

The article mostly describes high tech ways of reaching the BBC. Over the
years, international broadcast has decreased substantially. Also, the
number of receivers has decreased. I wonder how many people in Russia and
Ukraine have short wave radios. It may be possible to reach substantial
audiences with high power AM broadcast, though there may also not be a lot
of receivers available. In the US, a lot of in-home radio listening is via
streaming. I'm listening to NPR right now on an Amazon Echo. We DO,
however, have several AM, long wave, and short wave receivers.

It's an interesting question as to whether the BBC, VOA, and others should
continue shortwave broadcast with declining listenership just in case
someone may interrupt internet service to an area these broadcasters wish
to reach.

Harold
https://w6iwi.org