DOMESTIC SHORTWAVE RADIO

A word should be said here about short wave radio. It is not a local medium – domestic short wave has a national reach. But if there is any interest in developing programs for a greater than local audience, it is extremely inexpensive to buy time on short wave and have your show beamed across the country.

Unlike in Africa, Asia and parts of Europe and South America, short wave listenership in the United States is largely considered a hobby. Most radios in the United States included AM and shortwave, until FM was introduced in 1948. The story we’ve been told is that government officials, concerned about Communist short wave radio progpaganda stations, encouraged manufacturers in the US to take out the short wave tuner and put in an FM tuner, which can only receive local signals. In most countries, people like to listen to shortwave to get a different perspective from their nations’ media. Even in the US, thousands of people tune in to short wave each evening and are regular listeners to a wide range of programs produced at home as well as overseas. For some projects, this might be an appropriate and affordable approach.