HFU HF Underground
General Category => General Radio Discussion => Topic started by: Fansome on July 29, 2014, 0107 UTC
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Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2014 15:48:56 -0400
From: "Richard D. Cuff" <rdcuff@gmail.com>
To: Discussion list for the Winter SWL Fest <swlfest@hard-core-dx.com>
Subject: [Swlfest] Western radio broadcasters tuning out
http://www.straitstimes.com/the-big-story/asia-report/opinion/story/western-radio-broadcasters-tuning-out-20140727
The Fest's friend Victor Goonetilleke is highlighted in this article...
RC
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What is even more regrettable is the choice to allow certain broadcasters to continue, even increasing their funding, while others get the axe taken to their budgets. Specifically, I am talking about Radio Marti. Radio y Television Marti, according to a study quoted in NPR's "On the Media" has about 3 percent name recognition in Cuba. Those who have heard of it almost universally have a negative view of its programming, oftentimes even lower scores than the domestic propaganda outlets receive. All of this while Voice of America, a far more objective, trusted, and effective source of information, is cutting staff like mad.
Speaking as someone who is about to go work at a non-western shortwave broadcaster, I can say that it is quite sad that (if I wanted to work at, say VOA or Radio Free Asia) I would essentially have to go through the same process that a civilian defense contractor goes through. No wonder they have trouble attracting new and young journalistic talent.
It is quite telling that of 5 English-native speakers in my Mass Communication MA program (at Central European University, which houses the RFE/RL archives on campus) who focused on radio: one works for AL-Jazeera, two work for Radio Romania International, one is at Radio Kuwait, and I worked for the Moscow Times (Western newspaper) initially only to take a position at the largest non-western shortwave broadcaster of them all. The jobs at Western broadcasters are just not there, and those that are available do not even come close to offering a journalist with an advanced degree adequate pay. Until Western governments realize the value of international broadcasting, they will essentially continue to cede a generation of talented journalists to the competition.
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Sad article. Asia is a big, important part of the world. When I heard we were cutting funding to Radio Free Asia I found that absurd. Almost half the world's population live in China and India alone. A lot of them have shortwave and AM radios.
What are the politicians thinking?
I think Marti is big with the politicians for the same reason trade with Cuba is prohibited... it's largely because of the Cuban vote in Florida. When I hear Marti, I'm impressed with the quality of the production, though.
Cuban people probably get more information about the US from listening to US AM and FM stations than they get from Marti. I'm certain that AM and FM stations from Florida (at least) can be heard there.