I wasn't thinking necessarily of a nuclear exchange per se (although I don't 
negate that entirely), but at least something more likely, that of a Post-Oil 
society, which I know is coming as that resource, which we are so utterly 
dependent on, is finite and we are already at or past peak oil production.  
(Google "peak oil" to learn more of what I mean.)  

Either way, a world is coming requiring much simpler technology, hopefully 
still including postal mail delivery, limited electricity, maybe limited 
telephone, but I am also hoping analogue radio of a level much like what we had 
in the 1920 to 1940s.  Digital would be far too sophisticated for this world.  
Computers, if they exist, will be limited once again to back-office financial 
or government uses.  And to me the shift of television to digital put the nail 
in that technology's coffin for tomorrow's world.  Satellites, let alone 
internet, won't be part of this world either, leaving only over-the-air 
shortwave radio as a means to serve potentially any large number of people 
outside of limited government circles with news beyond a local area.

Again, I can't fault the short-term decisions by international broadcasters to 
reduce over-the-air transmissions due to financial decisions.  What bothers me 
most of all, given my perspective quickly outlined above, is that it will also 
leave these same broadcasters potentially poorly positioned to step back into 
filling this void as it will likely become necessary later.  But maybe that has 
already happened with all the shortwave transmission facilities around the 
world already privatized and outside a broadcaster's ready access.  RNW's 
current demolition of the Flevoland facility leaves them, if I am not mistaken, 
without a local shortwave transmission facility except those accessible to them 
only by satellite and possibly backup leased lines.  For that matter, most 
broadcasters are in this same boat, with transmission facilities remote from 
program origination points and all subject to being cutoff in tomorrow's world. 
 This is in part what I meant by
 "security" in my earlier posts.

Kevin Anderson

--- On Fri, 9/19/08, Scott Royall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> From: Scott Royall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: Re: [Swprograms] RNW to end shortwave usage to North America as 
> ofthe B-08 schedule change
> To: "'Shortwave programming discussion'" <[email protected]>
> Date: Friday, September 19, 2008, 11:21 PM
> Very true.
> 
> > > think that you are alluding to a post-apocalyptic
> situation, where
> > > technology would be effectively rolled back. I
> submit that you and I
> > > probably won't be around in that case. We
> most certainly won't be
> > > casually
> > > discussing it over the internet.
> >
> > And, let me add not to put too fine a point on things,
> that we
> > probably wouldn't want to be around anyway.
> >
> > John Figliozzi



      
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