ROB'S RANT!! - WHERE'S THE INFO, GUYS???


A few weeks ago, radio broadcaster Keith Perron was bemoaning the lack of advice that international broadcasters give to listeners regarding frequency schedules, and in particular frequency changes, such as for the fast approaching new transmission period (B13) at the end of this weekend. He also pointed out just how hard it is to find any mention of existing frequency schedules on many (most?) of the station websites.

 I have to agree! 

 International broadcasters (the few that remain....) are doing nothing to inform listeners about shortwave schedule changes. Indeed, I got the impression that many sites were virtually discouraging shortwave listening in favour of online streaming. 

 Sure, people can download the HFCC data from their pubic access site http://www.hfcc.org/data/, but that's not the point! Nor is it in a format that the average listener could possibly handle......or WANT to handle!

 Long gone are the days when broadcasters would post (remember 'snail mail'?) out their new schedules weeks before the new transmission periods were scheduled to commence. Radio Norway was one station that was especially good at keeping listeners informed with a lovely fully-detailed coloured brochure.

 So, this morning - just for interest's sake - I scoured the web for details of the coming B13 changeover. It was a very unsuccessful task. As at 0000 UTC on October 24, the only schedule advice for B13 that I could find was for the following stations:

 Deutsche Welle:

 http://www.dw.de/popups/pdf/30078686/shortwave-frequencies-as-of-october-27-2013.pdf

Radio Romania International:

 http://www.rri.ro/en_gb/schedule_valid_as_of_october_27th_2013-7582

 Radio New Zealand International:

 http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/listen

 THAT'S IT!!!

 Oh..... almost forgot!!

 I also found the frequency schedule for Sultanate of Oman Radio for the new period beginning October 26,......2003!!!!  That's on their current website (i.e. not web-archived!). Nice one guys!


Anyway, Shelley at HCJB Global here in Melbourne has kindly made available the new schedule document (subject to change, of course) for HCJB for the B13 period. I have placed it in my Dropbox public folder for download. Thanks , Shelley!!

 https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/272682/HCJB%20Australia%20B13%20Schedule%20-%20v1.0%20-%20LISTENERS.pdf

 Time to actively complain to international broadcasters about their tardiness, perhaps?? And will they listen....or do they care??

 73 everyone,

 Rob VK3BVW

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