US Domestic Shortwave

[Marcos_C]

From that brief time I was active, I remember occasionally hearing rock music on SW. I always thought it was WRNO Worldwide as I'd heard it was largely simulcasting WRNO 99.5 at that time (1992-93). I don’t remember if I ever listened long enough to get an ID.

I listened to WRNO Worldwide ("The Rock of the World") during the 1980s. It was the first US commercial shortwave station that I listened to. During part of its broadcast day, it simulcast WRNO-FM, when the FM station was known as "The Rock of New Orleans." However, during other parts of the day, it had a separate programming of rock music that was targeted at an international audience, and it did have some brokered programming. Also, WRNO Worldwide aired live play-by-play coverage of the New Orleans Saints.

 

[kevtronics]

Aren't U.S. shortwave stations still not allowed to target a domestic audience? The FCC states "It should be noted that an international broadcasting station is intended for broadcasting to a foreign country and is not intended for broadcasting solely to the United States", but doesn't elaborate on that.

 

[kenglish]

Aren't U.S. shortwave stations still not allowed to target a domestic audience? The FCC states "It should be noted that an international broadcasting station is intended for broadcasting to a foreign country and is not intended for broadcasting solely to the United States", but doesn't elaborate on that.

There seemed to always be an invisible "😉" included in that paragraph. The word "solely" probably helped, too.
I remember asking Ralph about the TCI "Medium Range" antenna they installed. It was aimed 70-degrees (African Continent), but it's design range was centered around the US and Canadian East Coast.
He winked, and we both smiled.
Is that rule still in effect?

 

[Kelly A]

Aren't U.S. shortwave stations still not allowed to target a domestic audience? The FCC states "It should be noted that an international broadcasting station is intended for broadcasting to a foreign country and is not intended for broadcasting solely to the United States", but doesn't elaborate on that.

I think what they were referring to is the old version of the: Smith Mundt Act. Essentially that law prevented VOA, and broadcasters who could be considered as featuring U.S. propaganda, from broadcasting that programming to U.S. citizens. The law was revised I believe back in 2012: H.R.5736 - 112th Congress (2011-2012): Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012

 

[davideduardo]

There seemed to always be an invisible "😉" included in that paragraph. The word "solely" probably helped, too.

Some of this dates back to the philosophy that Congress forced on the FCC back in the 30's that limited the coverage of AM stations by topping power at 50 kw and limiting ownership to 7 stations in any class. The fear that the ruling politicians had was that overly powerful stations or large owners could be more influential than localized newspapers.

Historians see ramifications of these attitudes in the failure, still, to allow newspapers to own electronic media despite the immense changes in media and media distribution in the ensuing eight decades.

 

[Radig]

The fear that the ruling politicians had was that overly powerful stations or large owners could be more influential than localized newspapers.

Yes, just like FOX News now.

 

[kenglish]

Some of this dates back to the philosophy that Congress forced on the FCC back in the 30's that limited the coverage of AM stations by topping power at 50 kw and limiting ownership to 7 stations in any class. The fear that the ruling politicians had was that overly powerful stations or large owners could be more influential than localized newspapers.

Historians see ramifications of these attitudes in the failure, still, to allow newspapers to own electronic media despite the immense changes in media and media distribution in the ensuing eight decades.

I remember those days. Bonneville could only own 7/7/7. When I started, KSL-FM had just been sold (becoming KSFI), and their old automation system was still sitting on the main floor. That was done to appease Washington. The SLC stations were always operating under a waiver, because the LDS Church still owned the Deseret News (one of the two major papers in town....although there were large dailies in Ogden, Provo and St. George).
BYU had KBYU-TV and KBYU-FM as non-commercials. People were always filing against renewals. One guy kept KBYU-FM in limbo for a while....the were classical music. He said he loved classical, but challenged their license because they "didn't play enough marches".
Now, we have the commercial FM's back, KBYU has two FM's, the two local dailies are on-line only (one prints a weekend edition out of state), numerous other conglomerates have empty buildings, and smaller stations operate with antennas made of fence wire.
Sheesh!

 

[davideduardo]

Yes, just like FOX News now.

Or any of the cable and online news networks, starting with CNN decades ago.

 

[kenglish]

At least CNN was the first. Didn't people make fun of them, saying no one cares enough about news, to watch a network devoted to it 24/7?

 

[CTListener]

At least CNN was the first. Didn't people make fun of them, saying no one cares enough about news, to watch a network devoted to it 24/7?

The strange thing about CNN is that just a year or so earlier Ted Turner's WTBS had no newscasts other than the sometimes tongue-in-cheek five-minute updates delivered by Bill Tush and Tina Seldin. Tush even did a special or two that lampooned television news. But in 1981, Turner was all-in on delivering news 24/7.

 

[kenglish]

The strange thing about CNN is that just a year or so earlier Ted Turner's WTBS had no newscasts other than the sometimes tongue-in-cheek five-minute updates delivered by Bill Tush and Tina Seldin. Tush even did a special or two that lampooned television news. But in 1981, Turner was all-in on delivering news 24/7.

OMG...I remember those. I had to be at work at 0530, to sign the station on, and run PTL Club.
I'd turn on the TV at home while I tried to figure out which shoe was which. I remember Bill Tush trying to hurry and finish his newscast, while the crew pushed his set down a long, dark hallway toward the prop room.
Could anybody get away with that stuff tofay?

 

[Marcos_C]

I think what they were referring to is the old version of the: Smith Mundt Act. Essentially that law prevented VOA, and broadcasters who could be considered as featuring U.S. propaganda, from broadcasting that programming to U.S. citizens.

I listened to the Voice of America during the 1980s. I remember that when the VOA offered literature on the air, they said that citizens and residents of the United States were ineligible to receive them.

 

[CTListener]

I listened to the Voice of America during the 1980s. I remember that when the VOA offered literature on the air, they said that citizens and residents of the United States were ineligible to receive them.

The VOA would verify reception reports sent by domestic listeners like me, but IIRC, the QSL cards never contained enough specifics -- like time and date -- to make them count "officially." This was especially bothersome for some of their relay locations, which were otherwise difficult to impossible to log, at least outside of ham signals.

 

[gr8oldies]

The VOA would verify reception reports sent by domestic listeners like me, but IIRC, the QSL cards never contained enough specifics -- like time and date -- to make them count "officially." This was especially bothersome for some of their relay locations, which were otherwise difficult to impossible to log otherwise, at least outside of ham signals.

On the other hand, Radio Peking (as it was known at the time) would send you all the China Pictorials and Mao's Little Red Books that you could eat.

 

[CTListener]

On the other hand, Radio Peking (as it was known at the time) would send you all the China Pictorials and Mao's Little Red Books that you could eat.

Yes! And Peking Review, the English-language newspaper, as well. I had the Little Red Book for a long time before misplacing it during a move. I'd imagine all of us SWL kids (I was 14 when I wrote to Peking, in 1969.) wound up with an FBI dossier.

 

[Marcos_C]

Actually, they called themselves Radio Beijing (at least on the air), but it is interesting to know that they would offer those goodies.

 

[frankberry]

On the other hand, Radio Peking (as it was known at the time) would send you all the China Pictorials and Mao's Little Red Books that you could eat.

It would be interesting to find out what kinds of material VOA was sending to foreign listeners.

 

[Kelly A]

It would be interesting to find out what kinds of material VOA was sending to foreign listeners.

Depends on the era and country. Mostly simplistic take on news about the U.S., sometimes news around a particular region. Sometimes stations would feature English language courses on the air.

 

[Marcos_C]

From 1966 to 1973, there was a US commercial shortwave station with the call sign WNYW. According to Wikipedia,

The station attempted to do some commercial programming, but there were few advertisers because it was difficult to estimate audience ratings for the wide geographical area that shortwave stations typically covered.

I remember Jonathan Marks of Radio Netherlands' Media Network calling that station's attempt at commercial shortwave programming "a disaster."

In 1973, the station was sold to Family Radio, which converted it into WYFR.

Today, the call sign WNYW is held by the Fox owned-and-operated TV station in New York.

 

[Radig]

From 1966 to 1973, there was a US commercial shortwave station with the call sign WNYW.

Yes, I used to listen to it - Radio New York Worldwide. The transmitter site was located in Scituate, MA.