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More evidence that Family Radio is finished:

jfrancispastirchak said:
Reading the link left me flat-- lots of history but no details explaining their demise.
Click to expand...

I think it's easy to explain. Shortwave doesn't make any money. Nearly 20 years ago, Far East Broadcasting Company shut down KGEI in San Francisco (Redwood City) because it simply wasn't bringing in the donations anymore. Even though it was an international broadcaster and was licensed to San Francisco as a commercial station, they didn't even have a buyer for it. They sold the antennas to Gene Scott and I think they gave away the transmitter to a broadcaster in South America.

I doubt that WYFR brought in enough money to pay for its electricity -- ever.

Remember that there were a lot of lean years for Family Radio with Hal Camping putting his own money into the organization. He had made a mint as a shopping center developer. You could almost say that Family Radio was his hobby.
 
The demise of WYFR will leave 15 shortwave stations in the United States (not counting Voice Of America, Armed Forces Radio Network, Radio Martí and the weather channels) but there is a new shortwave station being planned for Lebanon, Oregon: http://ktmiradio.com/

I'm sure that the main reason for the financial problems of Harold Camping's station is that nobody felt like giving him money after he predicted a date for the end of the world and then, when nothing happened, predicted a new date for the end of the world...and then, when nothing happened, predicted a new date for the end of the world...and then, when nothing happened.......
 
jfrancispastirchak said:
Reading the link left me flat-- lots of history but no details explaining their demise.
Click to expand...

Aside from the issues facing Family Radio, the bigger issue is the loss of nearly all audiences on shortwave.

HCJB, the huge evangelical station from Quito... with multiple 500 kw transmitters and even their own hydroelectric plant... called it quits mostly because they found that audiences were increasingly reached by local FM stations and even the Internet.

Tropical band shortwave was once viable for commercial operations across Latin America and much of Africa and locations like Indonesia. Today, FM is so prevalent that some places that had perhaps one AM (such as Burkina Faso) now have hundreds of FMs.

There is just no place for shortwave, particularly since there are local alternatives without static, fading and interference.
 
HCJB didn't move. They are now doing programs that are for the local population in South America. In the meantime the Big Transmitters moved to Australia.
 
LARadioRewind said:
The demise of WYFR will leave 15 shortwave stations in the United States
Click to expand...

I misspoke there. SW can make money if they broker the time to outsiders. But considering that some of these stations charge as little as $100 an hour, it's probably easy to find starry-eyed people with dreams of "reaching the world" who can afford to spend $400 a month (for a once a week program). But do THOSE program producers make any money?

I'm sure that the main reason for the financial problems of Harold Camping's station is that nobody felt like giving him money after he predicted a date for the end of the world and then, when nothing happened, predicted a new date for the end of the world...and then, when nothing happened, predicted a new date for the end of the world...and then, when nothing happened.......
Click to expand...

The two big Christian broadcasters, TWR and FEBC both pulled out of SW in the Americas because they simply weren't making it financially. This was long before Family Radio's problems, so it wasn't just Hal Camping's end of the world predictions. People in the Americas simply don't listen to SW.

Also note that the BBC, Radio Canada, Radio Netherlands, Radio Australia, Radio RSA, and all the other big SW broadcasters of the golden age of SW have all turned off broadcasting to the Americas. The listeners simply aren't there.
 
The two Davids are correct when they say there are very few shortwave listeners anymore. The only time I ever see anyone using a shortwave radio is on reruns of Hogan's Heroes. :D
 
richllewis said:
HCJB didn't move.
Click to expand...

But they called it "quits" for shortwave. After considering a site move compelled by the building of the new UIO airport, they discarded plans to build on the coast and got out of the Ecuadorian SW business altogether.

They have kept the AM and FM in Quito, apparently.

They are now doing programs that are for the local population in South America.
Click to expand...

And Central America, too. But most are run on FMs locally. In fact, WRMF was distributing kits that enabled building local FMs which they sold to religious organizations. I think this was shut down when the WRMF moved to Colorado from Indiana. They also built the 100 kw SW transmitters there, too.

With the proliferation of FMs everywhere in Latin America shortwave is essentially dead and has been for decades. Even MW (AM) stations are shutting down in droves in many places.

In HCJB's home town of Quito, there was not a single FM until private, commercial HCTM went on the air in 1966. Now, that city has over 40 of them.

In the meantime the Big Transmitters moved to Australia.
Click to expand...

I thought the Australian transmitters were the 100 kw rigs built in the old Crown facility in Indiana. I did not know that the 500's were moved.

In any case, all the Pifo gear was getting rather old. It is, of course, all hollow-state and costly to maintain and to operate.
 
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