Here’s a fresh selection from our recent “Letter to the Editor” mailbag. Radio World welcomes letters to the editor on this or any story. Email [email protected].
The decision by Microwave Power Products (“Radio Operators React to Econco Closure: ‘A Serious Issue’”) will have an even greater impact on shortwave broadcasters.
Unlike for FM and AM transmitters, we are unaware of any company that manufactures efficient, high-power (100,000+ watt) solid-state transmitters capable of operating from 3 to 20 MHz.
For the unforeseeable future, we have no option but to be dependent on high-power vacuum tubes to continue broadcasting. Econco has been our source for reliable rebuilt tubes for the past 40+ years.
Since we are overseas and keep tubes “banked” at Econco, we are now scrambling to find another tube rebuilder willing to receive those “banked” tubes and rebuild reliable tubes for us as needed.
Larry McGuire
Transmitter Engineer
Trans World Radio
Government Programming
I read “Carr Urges Broadcasters to Get Patriotic” about how the chairman wants radio stations to start the broadcast day with the National Anthem. And maybe air the Pledge of Allegiance. And civics lessons during the day a la the 1970s “School House Rock” videos.
Start the day with the National Anthem? You can’t force me to do that. But I would eagerly comply by airing something like the anthem in the style of Smash Mouth’s “All Star.” Yet that might not be what Carr had in mind.
The pledge could be combined with locally aired civics lessons based on audio clips from such prestigious people as Jessie Jackson, Jessie Helms, Richard Nixon, Oliver North and maybe even Bill Clinton. Again, probably not what he had in mind.
He also suggested playing patriotic marching band music. First, wasn’t there a good piece in “Hair”? I also would note that some of the most rousing patriotic marches came out of northeastern Europe circa 1936 to 1944.
But that is just my opinion.
Archie Stulc
Radio From Home
The concept that radio stations can run just fine from people’s spread-out homes, as reported in Radio World articles, may be working somewhere. Yet on a major station in my area, one that generally has good engineering, I hear regular problems.
There’s been plenty of time to sort this out since Covid but I’m still hearing audio level issues among other things. I think maintaining proper levels is one of the basics of good broadcasting. If we can’t manage that, doing it from home isn’t cutting it.
I should add that in some small markets where affording two good mics may be an issue, buying the tech that allows everyone to work from home may just not be possible.
Terry Skelton
We Have It Already
John Caracciolo of JVC Broadcasting said he would like to see a radio network emerge that “partners with local stations to amplify their voices, not drown them out. One that provides national scale where it matters — news gathering, distribution, sales infrastructure —while keeping content authentic and rooted in the community.”
I read that and immediately realized such a network already exists: National Public Radio. Quite often its stories include detailed reports from member stations’ journalists. That serves as amplification of local voices, doesn’t it?
Richard Cuff
Radio enthusiast and analyst
Allentown, Pa.
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