>Nathan Bollinger writes in a message to Diane Levesque
 >
 > NB> Considering the fact the there ARE so many stations up for
 > NB> sale, I'd say operating a shortwave broadcasting station is
 > NB> a money-losing proposition. (I'd still love to do it, though!)
 > NB> B-)
 > NB> I can offer no theories as to why this is happening.
 >
 >Look at it this way:
 >
 >Who is your audience?  They are going to be a fairly small group of
 >technically astute people scattered around the world.  It's going to be
 >real difficult to get advertisers to agree to pay money to reach that kind
 >of an audience!  They can reach many more people using standard AM/FM/TV
 >stations in local markets - particularly if the product they sell isn't
 >distributed worldwide.
I'm afraid I have to disagree with you here, Scott. Not all SWL's are 
technoids. In Japan, as well as many European countries, folks carry around 
small "el-cheapo" analog portables much the same way folks here carry 
walkmans. In fact, in some 3rd world and developing countries, shortwave is 
the only source of information that they've got. But I do think one thing 
that has kept shortwave from becoming more popular is that alot of people 
have the misconception that IS a technical hobby. (I think alot of folks 
confuse it with ham radio.)
 >
 > NB> Perhaps if radio manufacturers would start advertising their
 > NB> wares the way internet providers do, emphasizing that you can
 > NB> "...explore the world.." on less than a hundred bucks, it could
 > NB> get the hobby jump started again.
 >
 >The Gulf War was the last reason many people had to tune in shortwave
 >radio.  Sales boomed.  What we need is another good all-out war!  
Sounds good to me. Let's start a war with Bermuda. 
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