KVOH closing down?

[Mediafrog+]

Reports popping up on shortwave forums that KVOH in Rancho Simi, California has pulled the plug. Apparently operational costs became unsustainable. No confirmation yet from parent Voice of Hope.

Not a surprise; the station had recently cut back on its already modest transmission schedule due to soaring electricity costs; also dealing with a vintage transmitter. All part of the continuing demise of shortwave broadcasting; WTWW likely gone as well…who’s next?

 

[CTListener]

Reports popping up on shortwave forums that KVOH in Rancho Simi, California has pulled the plug. Apparently operational costs became unsustainable. No confirmation yet from parent Voice of Hope.

Not a surprise; the station had recently cut back on its already modest transmission schedule due to soaring electricity costs; also dealing with a vintage transmitter. All part of the continuing demise of shortwave broadcasting; WTWW likely gone as well…who’s next?

The oldest of the American commercial shortwavers, WINB, is still around, licensed to Red Lion, Pa., with a lineup of fundamentalist Christian and ultra-right political shows. Given that it's managed to survive since 1962, I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be the final survivor.

 

[crainbebo]

The demise of shortwave broadcasting continues. I find it useful for amateur radio and not much else nowadays. On the contrary, KVOH wasn't on for much of the day and mostly aired religious programming that probably had a very small listener base.

 

[Red Plume]

WINB, is still around...
... I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be the final survivor.

I think they've been monetizing their side bands with zero-latency data, for applications that would be impeded by a fraction-of-a-second delay (i.e., trading, etc).

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

The oldest of the American commercial shortwavers, WINB, is still around, licensed to Red Lion, Pa., with a lineup of fundamentalist Christian and ultra-right political shows. Given that it's managed to survive since 1962, I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be the final survivor.

WINB however will lease time to secular non religious broadcasters and has several times, including me twice.

KVOH wont

 

[Mediafrog+]

I think they've been monetizing their side bands with zero-latency data, for applications that would be impeded by a fraction-of-a-second delay (i.e., trading, etc).

WINB has a relatively new transmitter (ASI—Amplifier Systems Incorporated) that operates with a combination of DRM (for audio) alongside a datastream that is supposedly used for financial market data. As you tune through the signal you will hear the DRM “roar” then a higher pitched whine which is the digital data. Sometime the DRM and data stream flip places.

An old 50kw Continental unit (417C) is still used for traditional analog broadcasts. This might be the station’s original transmitter that they’ve kept going all these years.

This has come up in other threads, but there are several applications pending for similar DRM/datacasting stations, and a few appear to be on the air under experimental licenses.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

WINB has a relatively new transmitter (ASI—Amplifier Systems Incorporated) that operates with a combination of DRM (for audio) alongside a datastream that is supposedly used for financial market data. As you tune through the signal you will hear the DRM “roar” then a higher pitched whine which is the digital data. Sometime the DRM and data stream flip places.

An old 50kw Continental unit (417C) is still used for traditional analog broadcasts. This might be the station’s original transmitter that they’ve kept going all these years.

This has come up in other threads, but there are several applications pending for similar DRM/datacasting stations, and a few appear to be on the air under experimental licenses.

Tune 9800 late late nights, youll hear a horn.. thats WINB's DRM/digital data.. theyre up on 9805.. i hear the horrrrrn loud and clear here in AK

 

[pclover]

Tune 9800 late late nights, youll hear a horn.. thats WINB's DRM/digital data.. theyre up on 9805.. i hear the horrrrrn loud and clear here in AK

Part of that might be their weird DRM signal I don't understand. It seems they have a 10 Khz signal but half of it is just garbage and not suppressed.

Seems like a waste of power and they should just transmit a full 10 Khz DRM signal.

 

[Mediafrog+]

Part of that might be their weird DRM signal I don't understand. It seems they have a 10 Khz signal but half of it is just garbage and not suppressed.

Checking the WINB signal around 1645 UT today (June 28) it had the datastream “whine” from 15741 to 15749 kHz and DRM from 15749 to 15757. As mentioned earlier these are sometimes reversed—I usually hear it the other way around. Frequency can vary a bit as well depending on what time you tune across the transmission.

Seems like a waste of power and they should just transmit a full 10 Khz DRM signal.

It is apparently doing what they want it to, broadcasting DRM audio and market data on separate transmission formats. This is what other proposed stations want to do, and are pushing the FCC for updated rulemaking to accommodate such services.

Power for the WINB DRM/datastream is 15kw.

 

[Mediafrog+]

Update: The Voice of Hope and owner Strategic Communications Group have issued a press release confirming the KVOH closure.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Update: The Voice of Hope and owner Strategic Communications Group have issued a press release confirming the KVOH closure.

Well, would you post a link to it? ive done a quick search and i cant find it

 

[channel99]

Part of that might be their weird DRM signal I don't understand. It seems they have a 10 Khz signal but half of it is just garbage and not suppressed.

Seems like a waste of power and they should just transmit a full 10 Khz DRM signal.

Newly posted (or re-posted) by the FCC as part of their creation of the Space Bureau and Office of International Affairs is this fact sheet on building a shortwave international broadcasting station:
Fact Sheet on Building a High Frequency (Shortwave) International Broadcasting Station

​

 

[Mediafrog+]

Well, would you post a link to it? ive done a quick search and i cant find it

Saw it posted by our own moderator Michi (Michelle Bradley of RECnet) on the public WRTH Facebook page. I am not a Facebook member, so unable to directly link, but here is a cut and paste (need to be logged in to RD for full size version):

 

[Michi]

I spoke with John Tayloe. Him and I are good friends. What is not mentioned is that the land where the curtains are is going to be developed. A portion of the Chatsworth Peak site will remain, including the booster for KWSV-LP, but the shortwave has shut down. Not sure if John is going to move it somewhere else.

 

[Mediafrog+]

I spoke with John Tayloe. Him and I are good friends. What is not mentioned is that the land where the curtains are is going to be developed. A portion of the Chatsworth Peak site will remain, including the booster for KWSV-LP, but the shortwave has shut down. Not sure if John is going to move it somewhere else.

I think KVOH is done. They can always lease time on another existing private station, without blowing a bunch of money rebuilding elsewhere. Apparently WTWW ownership wanted to sell to KVOH owner Strategic Communications Group, but no deal…WTWW is likely toast as well.

 

[Michi]

toast as well.

Which pretty much sums up the state of high frequency broadcasting in all target areas except the African continent.

 

[davideduardo]

Which pretty much sums up the state of high frequency broadcasting in all target areas except the African continent.

And even there the profusion of FMs in nearly every nation make SW irrelevant.

 

[pclover]

Checking the WINB signal around 1645 UT today (June 28) it had the datastream “whine” from 15741 to 15749 kHz and DRM from 15749 to 15757. As mentioned earlier these are sometimes reversed—I usually hear it the other way around. Frequency can vary a bit as well depending on what time you tune across the transmission.

It is apparently doing what they want it to, broadcasting DRM audio and market data on separate transmission formats. This is what other proposed stations want to do, and are pushing the FCC for updated rulemaking to accommodate such services.

Power for the WINB DRM/datastream is 15kw.

Hum that seems a bit strange but makes sense. I didn't quite understand what was going on there.

8 KHz audio on DRM doesn't sound all that great IMO. They probably considered it acceptable.

I think KVOH is done. They can always lease time on another existing private station, without blowing a bunch of money rebuilding elsewhere. Apparently WTWW ownership wanted to sell to KVOH owner Strategic Communications Group, but no deal…WTWW is likely toast as well.

Yeah it seems like people like WRMI are the only ones that are going to survive. We'll likely see more departures.

 

[Mediafrog+]

Yeah it seems like people like WRMI are the only ones that are going to survive. We'll likely see more departures.

WRNO might be next to go; has been reported with sporadic operation lately. And WEWN is down to one transmitter on a single daytime frequency.

My question with WRMI and other U.S. shortwave operations is that some of the owner/operators of these stations are getting up there in age. How much longer will they want to deal with aging equipment and increased operational costs, and is there another generation willing to keep a dying medium going?

 

[Mediafrog+]

Which pretty much sums up the state of high frequency broadcasting in all target areas except the African continent.

SWLs are keeping an eye on the BBC Singapore relay station, which is rumored to be closing. Been noted that some of its transmissions will be moving to other facilities on July 15, according to some recently updated HFCC registrations.

Edit to add: Now seeing that the start date for the new sites is July 16, and additional changes have been registered.