An Open Letter to my Senators RE: The VOICE OF AMERICA (for others to use also, if they so wish)

Earlier tonight, I wrote up a letter that I sent to both of my Senators in the US Congress, concerning the shutdown of the Voice of America (as well as the other US, foreign broadcast outlets -- Marti, Radio Free Asia, Radio Free Europe, etc.).

Here is a copy of the letter I sent, with the Senators' names left blank.

I am posting it here in case any SWL's who read this blog want to send a letter to their Senator or Congressional rep. All you have to do is copy, paste, edit the name of your Congressional person into the greeting.

Peace.

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Dear Senator ____________,

I am a concerned American, and also a Shortwave radio listener. I am a Radio listener, and over the years have seen the power and capability of Radio as a vital information medium.

Recently, the Voice of America has come under fire. In fact, President Trump, through an executive order, switched it off last Saturday. He pulled the plug on America’s voice to the world. All VOA frequencies are nothing but static. America’s voice to millions in the rest of the world is now utterly silent.

This is a grave mistake, being that the Voice of America was, and still could be, a direct voice for America, American ideals, democracy, and as a source of unbiased news that goes directly to hundreds of millions of people throughout the third and fourth world, many of whom do NOT have great – if any – cell service, and who do NOT have great – if any – internet. 

VOA is America’s voice that goes directly to the individual in other countries, without any internet middlemen to shut it down, and without government, or other, firewalls in the way.

All they need is a radio, and in places like Africa and Asia, where there are some regimes that exert control over the media, they still have a lot of radios, including Shortwave capable radios. Not only is Shortwave radio important to reach the people in these countries for that reason, but also it's one way for the US to directly reach out to those people, unfiltered, with an American message.

Now, I understand that the US is trillions of dollars in debt. However, the Voice of America only cost the government approximately $260~ Million a year to operate. Considering the good will, the soft power, and the accurate and good image of America that VOA projects to the hundreds of millions of people in rural and poor, urban Africa and Asia, $260 Million dollars a year is a bargain.

Many detractors say that ‘no one listens to Shortwave radio’. The fact is, Africa and Asia are NOT like the Western world. They have depended on Shortwave radio for decades. They probably use Shortwave radio for news and information more than the Western world did 60 to 80 years ago, back when VOA was founded.

While it may be a fact that the majority of people in these regions may listen to local FM stations – as we all know, it doesn’t take everyone listening to a medium to influence a country or region. Soft Power does not work that way. Soft Power only needs a small number of people in an area or region to spread the message.

We all know this in this modern, ‘viral video’ age. It doesn’t take many to influence a larger number of people. We all have seen it with the internet. With other media it is the same. Single books have influenced thousands of people. Single books have even changed geopolitics. The premise is the same with Radio – one person can influence many.

And with Shortwave radio in poorer regions of the world, it is also the same. Our adversaries clearly understand this. This is why China jammed the VOA and Radio Free Asia. This is why Cuba jammed Radio Marti, which was also switched off. Our adversaries understand what the present Administration apparently does not – that Radio is a vital information medium, Shortwave included.

And what does pulling the plug on the Voice of America tell the world? What does it tell our adversaries? That we are only going to cater to those intelligentsia in those regions, who have great internet, and that we ignore the millions who don’t? 

 

Does the United States have a message to give the world, or does it not? If the present government in Washington, DC believes in America, why is it pulling the plug on the Voice of America? And if they also believe in America, American Democracy, and America’s message, why are the members of Congress in Washington, D.C. silent on this? 

And what about the people in the third and fourth world who are growing in numbers, and who don’t have access to great internet (if they have internet at all). Take a look at any Cell Phone Service map of these countries (such maps are readily available online), and compare it to industrialized nations like the US or Belgium or Germany. It’s like night and day.

Does the US have a message for the world, or doesn’t it? Do we only provide an American message to those who have good internet and a good cell phone, or do we use a medium – Radio -- that is cheap, works easily, and often already available in the household?

I think it is imperative that the Voice of America be switched back on, and that it also uses the Shortwaves as a medium to reach the hundreds of millions in Asia and Africa. Africa has over half of its people living in rural areas, the majority of them impoverished. Many of them have multiband radios with Shortwave, and unlike Westerners, they don’t instantly toss electronics away when it’s old. They don’t have a lot. They keep what they have.

By turning our back on these millions of people, America is, in effect, saying “The United States is NOT exceptional, and the United States has no message. The United States does not have anything to offer the world. Turn to some other country instead. Goodbye.”

Right now, no one in the Congress in the US is decrying the switching off of this valuable information and messaging resource. That is a travesty. When it comes to our country’s Voice that sends our message to the world, the members of Congress, regardless of party, appear to have been completely silent. Congress in general, which controls the purse strings, appears to not care at all about this important issue.

By turning VOA off, we are decreasing our influence in the rest of the world. And no Congressional people apparently see that? I certainly hope you do not agree with the silence on the part of Congress, as concerns the shutting down of the Voice of America.

I sincerely hope that you, as a Senator in Congress, speak out against this action taken to shut down VOA, and take whatever action may be available to you to restart VOA, and prove to the rest of the world that yes, the United States of America has a positive and true message to tell the people in the rest of the world.

Thank you, Senator __________, for taking the time to read this.

Sincerely,

_________________________________

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So there it is. I'm not trying to start a letter writing campaign here. I don't have THAT many readers. But if anyone is interested in letting the US government know that switching off the VOA is a mistake, copy and paste, and send it.

If you're in the UK, you may want to really revise it, keep it on your computer somewhere, because there are rumors that the UK government may be taking a look at BBC SW operations as well.

Shortwave radio services like the VOA, BBC, RFI, and even those of our adversaries are important to the rest of the world, so they can hear our messages and determine for themselves what to think of world affairs. 

Apparently not enough people in my government agree. Writing a letter may not change anything, but in my view, it's better than doing absolutely nothing.

Peace, to all my readers, no matter where you are.

C.C., March 20th, 2025

'This Is The VOICE OF AMERICA, Signing Off'

The VOICE OF AMERICA, the global broadcast station run by an arm of the US government, is off the air -- perhaps permanently.

Our present Administration shut down VOA, Radio Free Asia, Radio Free Europe, Radio Ashna (to Afghanistan), and Radio Marti indefinitely. The suspicion is that the present people running things in Washington, DC see the entire operation as a waste of money -- especially their SW radio operations.

This shutting down of VOA, Marti, etc., occurred officially on Saturday, and for a while Marti just played old shows while VOA was playing music. But now most of those frequencies are silent. For how long? Who knows?

I have held off on writing about this subject over the past several days, for a reason. Even though the shutting down of VOA is an important development -- especially here in the US, where the station is used by our government to bring America to the rest of the world via the radio waves -- it is a politically charged subject. 

And the political nature of the discussions often gets in the way of the bigger issue: Few in government, or even in the Radio industry and Radio hobby, believe in Shortwave Radio as a medium anymore.

That fact always gets lost in the constant hate tirades against Donald Trump and his administration when this subject is brought up, even in SWL circles.

His administration took VOA off the air. That is true. 

But no one in Congress, or even the Radio industry (like the NAB) is standing up for VOA. Even the leaders of the opposition party in Congress, the Democrats, are silent about VOA being shut down.

It's Radio. And it's being shut down. You'd think that, in itself, would make it an important issue to the Radio industry, as well as the vast majority of Radio hobbyists. You'd think that even the NAB would be concerned, as it's Radio.

Unfortunately, it's almost the opposite.

Many SWL's on the radio forums and subreddits online seem to not care about VOA's demise any more than the present US administration does. Some SWL's have called it 'propaganda', and say good riddance to it. Some say that 'Shortwave is dead -- everyone is online'. Some say that VOA had no listeners. So let it die.

They don't seem to care about VOA's dying, except that it's being shut down involves Donald Trump, a highly polarizing figure in American politics.

Now, I won't go into the politics here. I hate politics, as it always includes varying degrees of hate. What one may think or believe about President Trump, personally, is actually beside the point.

The FACT that no one in government, the NAB, or any organization outside of VOA employees and maybe a handful of vocal SWL's supports VOA's existence speaks loads.

'SUPPORT VOA? THAT'S SHORTWAVE. YOU'RE LIVING IN THE PAST'

When VOA was being scrutinized by the present administration, even a couple weeks ago, I got into literal arguments online with Radio industry people, as well as SWL's, concerning VOA. I think VOA has value. It's the US's voice to millions and millions of poor people in Africa and parts of Asia, where a lot of people don't have free press, or good internet access.

All you have to do is look at the cell coverage maps, and the statistics, to see that for much of the world, internet use is not as widespread as it is in the US, EU, Canada, Oz, NZ, the more industrialized nations of Eurasia, and most of Latin America. 

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Here is just one of several websites that have cell coverage maps for most of the countries of the world, including Africa and Asia. This site, like the others, has a drop down where you choose the country, and there's another drop-down menu to choose a cell carrier. 

https://www.gsma.com/coverage/#865

This particular map is for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and it's showing the area one popular cell carrier covers. As you can tell, the cell service doesn't cover that entire country. If you compare it to Belgium, you'll see a drastic difference in cell coverage.

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Trying to tell a lot of Radio people that VOA was, and is, important because third and fourth world nations do not have first and second world cell and internet coverage has been like talking to a brick wall. There are maybe one or two people on Radio industry forums I go to who agree with VOA's existence, and a handful of vocal supporters on the Shortwave subreddits, but more of them seem to agree with the present day administration that VOA's purpose died with the Cold War

Those of us who support VOA feel like we're talking to dead air.

It's sad, and it's frustrating.

If Radio industry people and Radio hobbyists do not believe in VOA, and Shortwave, over the air radio as a viable medium -- why should anyone else?

When I ask that question online, I got a lot of backlash from short-sighted folks who think that I a) support the Trump Administration and its actions, or b) am an enemy of some sorts to the SW hobby or the SW broadcast medium.

When I ask some of those detractors what they are doing to show support for the Voice of America -- like emailing your congressman, for example -- the answer is mostly crickets.

It's an example of a lot that's haywire in my country. Political divisions run deep, and get in the way of actual dialogue.

In this case, is the VOA worth the money? Is reaching out to the over 500 million people in Africa who live north of the Namibia/Zambia line, 65% of whom are impoverished and have little cellphone or internet access because over half of them live in rural areas -- is reaching out to them important, or not? The VOA cost the US government about $267 million to run every year. Is that a good investment, or not?

ONE B-21 BOMBER + ONE AIRCRAFT CARRIER =

52 YEARS OF V.O.A. BUDGETS

One B-21 Raider bomber plane costs over twice that amount. And the US Air Force wants 100 of them. The USS Gerald R Ford, which is one of our latest aircraft carriers, cost $13 Billion dollars in 2018, and that's almost $16 Billion in today's US Dollars (the US Navy wants ten of them).

The B-21 Raider, the US's second generation Stealth Heavy Bomber, is pictured up top, with the venerable B-52H pictured below. The B-21 costs about $600 million per plane.

And some say that the B-21 and Ford class aircraft carriers are sitting ducks in today's drone weapons version of warfare. As we've seen in recent land wars, drones are becoming increasingly deadly in all sorts of warfare. Yet the US government is spending the rough equivalent of 52 years' worth of VOA budgets on just one B-21 and one Ford class carrier.

Just one B-21 and one Ford class carrier could pay for more than half of VOA's budget throughout all 83 years of its existence (VOA was founded in 1942).

So is the VOA worth the money?

In my opinion, the answer is yes. But, unfortunately, my country's present government, its opposition party in Congress, many Radio industry people, and even a lot of fellow SWL's, also think the answer is NO.

WHAT DOES THIS SAY ABOUT RADIO IN GENERAL?

This leads to the next logical question: if the Voice of America is useless to the US as a form of radio broadcast, 'soft power', what does that say about the power of over the air radio in general?

Because Radio in general is in decline. As I pointed out in my last blog article, two of the largest Radio companies in the US recently announced the shutdown of 20 FM as well as AM radio stations.

When it's AM stations that are shut down, people in Radio practically applaud. But now the illness is hitting FM as well. And this leads me to question exactly who is standing up for Over-The-Air radio? If we can't stand up for our country trying to reach out to millions of people in third and fourth world countries using Over-The-Air radio, what is the use of Radio, really?

If the answer is to just 'go online', why have Radio at all? Is it going to be reduced to nothing but a gazillion, financially dysfunctional, cookie-cutter, 'Radio' content channels? Because once Radio goes all online, that's what it will be -- internet content, with low visibility, and lower revenues for most stations that go online-only.

Ask any internet content creator about the reality of content revenues, versus the myth that you can make a lot of money online. With nearly infinite competition, visibility is scarce, and when it comes to internet content, visibility is everything.

So, to me, this VOA issue is not just an example of my country abandoning the Radio medium to reach other regions of the world with 'Soft Power' -- it's also a classic example of Radio people shooting their industry, their hobby, in the foot.

Who is speaking up for Radio?

C.C. March 19th, 2025

EDIT: March 19th: I revised some language in one paragraph, to keep this post even further from politics.

 

AM Radio Bloodbath Now Hits FM, too: Two large US Radio companies shut down 20 AM & FM stations nationwide

The logo for 'Jack FM', WLXX 101.5, Lexington, Kentucky -- a station shut down during recent budget cuts at one of America's largest radio companies. Lexington is a fairly large city, with about 300K in the metro region. Jack-FM's usually do fairly well in the ratings, as they play a wide range of Classic Hits from the 1980's to the 2000's and early 2010's. But the Jack format didn't save this FM station from being shut down. Radio station shut-downs are now hitting FM as well as AM.

My industry is dying. Radio is dying. The Great Recession kicked it in the guts, the internet economy slammed it in the head, the Pandemic economy cut it off at the legs, and now the industry is starting to fold.

When I hit the internet with my first cup of coffee or tea every day, I usually check the Radio site called Radio Discussions. It's a forum of Radio industry insiders, experts, former Radio workers, and Radio hobbyists, and often it's a good source of news on what is happening in the industry.

Earlier this evening I was slammed by a news report on RD that two of the largest Radio companies in the United States -- Cumulus and Townsquare Media -- are shutting down 20 AM, and FM, radio stations. There are staff cuts, too, but they're not just cutting staff. They're literally shutting down radio stations as well.

Here is a link to the news article posted on RD.:

https://radioinsight.com/headlines/296690/twenty-cumulus-townsquare-media-stations-cease-operations-with-more-to-come/

The stations' programming ranges from Country, to News-Talk (an FM as well as AM's), to Sports-Talk (with both Infinity Sports Network and Fox Spots taking a hit), to "Jack" style 80's-00's Classic Hits, to Classic Country (an FM at that), to 'Lite Rock' (an AM with an FM translator), to an FM Classic Hits station (in Missouri). That's just a sampling from the article linked above, and its source says that there are more station shutdowns to come.

MANY THOUGHT FM RADIO WAS IMMUNE

Up until recently, the revenue issues associated with Radio's new, shaky business model (FM, AM, HD, + online) have only hit the AM band, and staffing. I've reported on these AM stations going off the air over the past several years, since the Pandemic ended. 

The stations that went off the air in this region, since 2019, are fairly numerous -- KNPT Newport OR, KUTI Yakima WA, KMED/KYVL Medford OR, KKPZ Portland OR, KDWN Las Vegas NV, CKMX Calgary AB, CFTE Vancouver BC, CKST Vancouver BC, CHED 630 Edmonton, CKGO 730 Vancouver (the last two were replaced by sister stations that were moved to their frequency) are just a few of the stations in the Western US and Canada that have shut down operations permanently. There have been other stations in the Eastern US and Canada that went off the air, too -- CHML Hamilton ON a classic example.

The most recent shakeup on the West Coast of the US was KGO 810 San Francisco being changed to play KSFO 560's conservative talk programming -- and KSFO 560 was then shut down. It is no longer on the air. 810 now identifies as KSFO. 

Some of these stations that were switched off permanently may still have a small online presence. But most are gone, gone, gone. As you can tell, the stations I just listed above were all AM stations.

But now this trend is shutting down some FM stations as well. FM radio, as a medium, is NOT immune to the difficult economics of Radio these days.

SPORTS TALK TAKES A SMALL HIT

Several of the shut-down stations in the article linked about are Sports talkers. For the past few years, Sports stations have been able to survive on low ratings, because -- the prevailing wisdom states -- Sports talk stations don't need ratings. They have a lock on men. Advertisers that want to reach men will use Sports talk stations, regardless of their ratings.

But it turns out that Sports stations aren't immune to being shut down due to Radio economics. The advertising revenue crunch is hitting Sports radio, too.

IT SUCKS TO SEE IT HAPPEN

It is probably obvious I'm a MW/AM radio fan. I like tuning into the distant stations at night, and I'll listen to the programming -- be it Classic Hits, Classic Country, Sports talk, public radio from OPB (Oregon Public Radio) or the CBC, some religious music and programming, some news-talk, a lot of South Asian music, ranchero, etc.

And for the past several years those of us who are AM radio fans have had to endure the negative comments about AM radio being 'ancient' and needing to go off their air.

But now FM radio is also feeling the pinch. A bunch of the 20 stations owned by Cumulus and Townsquare Media that are being shut down are on the FM band -- the one that the AM decriers always like to say is the only 'Radio' that counts.

NEWS FLASH: FM radio is not sacrosanct. Ever since WPLJ -- once a TOP STATION in America's Market #1, New York City, sold for millions less than it was worth in the 1990's and 2000's, the writing for FM has been on the wall. 

FM Radio is not beyond the reach of cost cutting.

It's sad, because from time to time I have been an avid FM listener, too. FM was where you could hear all sorts of great pop and rock music in the 80's through the 2000's. When I got a Sanyo FM-AM boombox on Christmas 1982, I was glued to it for years until that radio was stolen. I tuned the Rock stations and Pop stations and some R&B stations. And there is no denying that for decades, FM Radio has been a vital part of American music culture.

Now it is fading, along with AM.

My Sangean PR-D14, my last purchase from now-defunct Fry's Electronics. It is my kitchen radio, on 24/7. It will bring in DX, but usually I have it tuned to local talk, NPR, or the local Catholic Station on 1590. When I bought this radio in 2020, there were a lot more radio stations on the air. That number, on both FM and AM, is declining.

GET 'EM WHILE YOU CAN

One of my mantras that I repeat periodically on this blog site is 'Get 'Em While You Can!'

This applies to Shortwave and Medium Wave, two media that are obviously in decline, and it appears with the recent shutdowns, staff cuts, stock price declines, and other Radio economics, the decline of Radio in general is only going to accelerate.

If you have a radio, switch it on, listen around -- both FM and AM, and SW too.

The day will come those bands will be all static and hiss, with maybe a couple pirate stations here and there. You never know when your favorite program, or favorite station, is going off the air.

My guess is that at this rate, the AM band has 10 years left. FM maybe 15. SW maybe 5.

DEAR RADIO: 

DON'T EXPECT STREAMING TO SAVE YOUR STATION

At the same time, streaming will not 'save' Radio. There are still roughly 15,000 radio stations in the US. In no way will all 15K stations today be viable internet streaming channels tomorrow.

The competition is just too infinite, and online, visibility is everything.

RADIO DISNEY'S DEMISE WAS A HARBINGER OF THE FUTURE

Remember Radio Disney? They switched off their AM stations and sold them in 2015. At the time they switched off their AM stations, they admitted that 16% of their audience -- mostly teens and younger people -- were still listening to the AM's.

They sold off all their AM radio stations anyway.

They said their audience would automatically go online, to their stream.

Apparently, that didn't happen. Their predictions and prognostications about their new, preferred choice of broadcast medium were wrong.

Streaming was the new business model, they said. Streaming was the future, they said. AM and OTA radio is old school, they said.

For a couple years they were on HD2's (until late 2017) and then just on their own online stream.

Then they shut the entire operation down. The RD page is now a 404.

Streaming did not save them -- and their programming was good, backed by a plethora of Disney media and singing stars. Their DJ's and announcers were very good and engaging. Still, that business model failed.

When one of the largest media companies in the US has no more faith in Radio, in general, it says something. I think the shutdowns and layoffs since the Pandemic are the writing on the wall. 

I hate to make such statements, but one thing I've learned over the years is that you have to be a realist. My former industry -- a dream job, really -- and one of my favorite hobbies, is on borrowed time. That's the reality.

Until next time, my friends,

Peace.

C.C. March 15th, 2025.

One of the US's Biggest Radio Companies lays off 300 people, including Air Staff

Recently, one of the biggest Radio companies in the US has announced a series of layoffs, because of their bankruptcy. Audacy (formerly Entercom -- they have a few stations in my metro region) announced 300 layoffs, including popular, veteran DJ's and other airstaff, along with programmers and other vital positions at their radio stations across the country.

Here is a link to an article that discusses the layoffs.:

https://radioink.com/2025/03/06/audacy-lays-off-hundreds-in-major-post-bankruptcy-move/

Here's another link, continuing the listing of Audacy radio personnel laid off.:

https://radioinsight.com/headlines/296032/audacy-layoffs-march-2025/

It's a sad day for Radio, really, as these layoffs at larger and smaller Radio companies keep happening. The prevailing mantra is that advertising revenues are in a slump and still declining, because Radio is a 'legacy' media (like TV, Cable, Newspapers, Magazines) and 'legacy' media aren't the place to go to advertise anymore.

There are other issues within the advertising world, of course. Advertising itself is changing, as many online stores do not need to advertise anywhere outside their own website, or they just use placement on a search engine instead. The dominance of the internet has changed not only audio media like Radio -- which depends on advertising -- but also the nature of advertising itself.

That all aside, a lot of people who were laid off at Audacy were popular airstaff, and -- as I've said before, several times on this blog -- they will probably never work in Radio again.

The industry is in decline, and although Radio could possibly do more to promote its medium to the public, the writing is on the wall: everyone is going online for all entertainment and information -- be it news, music, TV shows, books, etc.

THE VOICE OF AMERICA MAY BE SEEING CHANGES

Since the 2024 Presidential election in the US, and the change in administrations, the Voice of America may be seeing some changes as management of the radio service changes.

Some believe that the VOA is past the pull date, and needs to go all online. I've read many comments by people in the Radio business even saying this sort of thing.

It's amazing that people in an industry view their own industry with such distaste. VOA reaches out to poor people in Africa, for example -- a continent which is NOT covered by lots of cellphone service (as any look at cell service maps can show you), and where internet isn't readily available. Over 55% of Africans are impoverished, and live in rural areas away from the big cities where there is cell service, internet, and a lot of FM radio.

VOA was designed to take America's news, opinions, culture, and entertainment to such people.

Yet we may be seeing such services being curtailed or reduced later this year. It's almost as if carrying America's viewpoints to poor, rural people in other areas of the world doesn't count anymore. And surprisingly, a lot of people in the Radio business seem to agree with that idea. It's as if they don't really believe in the power of Radio anymore.

Right now, no one knows exactly how the future of VOA will go.

Rumors are that the BBC may be considering similar moves. The World Service will be online only in many regions.

In many of these regions, China is expanding its influence, both in the media, and economically. Apparently, the Chinese do not share the West's current view of the power of Radio as an information medium.

Timmy the Cat during better days... This pic was from 2015, when I first started this blog.

RIP my little friend.

IN OTHER LIFE....

Last weekend I began to feel soreness in my throat, and a head cold coming on. Throughout the week, I made sure I got extra sleep, and took garlic extract and Eleuthero extract, and it seems to have mostly killed the virus.

My cat Timmy, who I got in 2012, died on me last weekend. He had been ill from a virus or some other ailment, and having no working car, I couldn't take him to the vet. I was giving him kitten formula, and he seemed to be improving, but one afternoon I went to check on him and he was dead.

It really sucks to lose a little pal. Timmy used to be a bit stand-offish at first. I had heard that he originally was a barn kitten, so he always had this independent streak about him. But over the past year he began to meow a lot, wanting to be petted, and rubbing against me. 

But then I lost him. Sucks, but that's life.

My cat Racofrats, when a kitten. He is doing well.

I still have other articles to finish. I'll probably post the Solar Cycle article next, as I am thorougly convinced that compared to previous ones, this one is a poor performer.

Then I will post others.

Stay tuned.

C.C., March 8th, 2024