THE NEED FOR CONTINUED SHORT WAVE BROADCASTING In adjusting to the changing radio landscape, Adventist World Radio has developed a strong Internet presence as well as formidable number of FM/AM Affiliate stations around the world in addition to its SW broadcast. Currently, Adventist World Radio broadcasts around 80 hours daily on the short wave bands in around 80 languages from its own KSDA-SW on Guam and from leased transmitters in 7 other countries around the world. We also transmit programs in scores of languages on over 100 Affiliate AM/FM Stations worldwide. Our more than 150 Podcast programs can be accessed on demand in over 120 languages from our website awr.org As a Christian organization the objectives and goals of Adventist World Radio have some commonality with other organizations but it also has some distinct differences. Some organizations are being forced to re-assess their programs, not only because of changing technologies affecting their target audiences but in most cases because of financial exigencies of their sponsoring entities. With the opening of certain closed countries, i.e. the ending of the Cold War era, the need for short wave penetration into these markets is not as pressing as it used to be, so understandably they have made adjustments to their programming offers. But this does necessarily mean there is no more need for short wave broadcasts; there are still formidable bastions in the world where free speech, religious freedom and human rights are under constant threats. A recent report stated that there is religious intolerance in at least 70% of the world’s population but, the interest in a continued presence on the high frequency radio bands is not limited to religious organizations. The ethics and values we treasure as a free country are also very important messages we must continue to keep before the world. America continues to be the nation to where everyone looks for justice, respect and the opportunity to live a life of peace and freedom. Although new delivery platforms have surfaced with emerging technologies, at the time of this writing, there are deemed to be over 60% of the world’s population still without adequate access to these technologies, namely the Internet. To a large extent the target audiences for Adventist World Radio are found in countries where there are moderate to severe restrictions on freedom of speech, religion and others; where Short Wave Radio is the most effective way for people to access outside, unbiased information. And, even with the rapid increase in Internet users around the world, the resulting effect has not been seen as cannibalistic where one technology is obliterating the other but rather resulting in an ever-expanding market guided by rapid socio-economic changes in the world. The prevalence of illiteracy and other crippling conditions such as poverty, radicalism, etc., seem to be on the rise; not falling. For example the number of people living without electricity in the world, according to Global Issues Bulletin, January 2013 update, increased from 1.32 billion in 2009 to 1.52 billion in 2013, an increase of 201 million people! Even some countries with increasing access to developing technologies are not becoming more open, but rather more closed, especially in the religious and political aspect. From a personal experience while visiting people in the homes in cities and villages in Eastern, South, South East and Central Asia, Africa, the Americas and even in some Eastern European countries as well as the Middle East and Northern Africa, there are thousands of people groups who depend on an inexpensive short wave, battery-operated, solar-powered, crank radio as their main window to the rest of the world! Take, for example a city of 800,000 in a West-Central African country where I recently visited; the people don’t have (and never had) electricity! This condition is repeated over and over in many parts of Africa and Asia. Over 300 million people in India alone are in the same condition. That is almost the entire population of the United States! So, even with increasing numbers of Internet users, there is also a growing number of people needing basic access to information; information they can’t get or do not trust coming from their own governments, therefore an inexpensive short wave radio is their only window to the world. Short wave radio continues to be the best and most cost-effective option to reach these faraway and marginalized audiences. Having the ability to travel thousands of miles originating outside hostile environments providing unfettered (some jamming still exists but not as before) access to people within closed borders, short wave, will continue to be a vital medium to provide unfiltered information to billions of people all over the world. For example, when television came on the scene many predicted, ominously, the demise of radio; the same happened with the digital book. While some publishers have had to downsize or even close their production as they re-adjusted to the changing markets, printing today is stronger than ever before. Instead of new technology choking out radio, radio has proven to be able to re-invent itself, adapting to new circumstances and conditions. Today, the dial on the radio bands in almost every community is so full there is hardly any room left for new frequencies! With the evolving technology, short wave is also re-aligning itself to best serve the current and future needs of millions who will continue to depend on this delivery system for years to come. To deprive the funding needed to keep the short wave broadcasts of legendary services such as the Voice of America (and others) on the air is tantamount to giving away the world to rogue regimes who will have a free highway to continue spreading fundamentalism and radicalism in a world already in much turmoil. I respectfully call the attention of the BBG to consider these and other powerful reasons to provide the necessary funding for its continued short wave programming. Dr. Dowell Chow, President Adventist World Radio
Posted on: Fri, 02 May 2014 23:41:35 +0000
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