National Association of Shortwave Broadcasters
NASB Newsletter - August 2011
NASB Set to Host First-Ever HFCC Conference in United States
The NASB and our associate member Continental Electronics Corporation are welcoming around 100 delegates from more than 40 international broadcasting organizations around the world to the HFCC/ASBU B11 Seasonal Coordination Conference in Dallas, Texas September 12-16, 2011. This is the first time in the more than 20-year history of the HFCC that the twice-annual meeting has been held in the United States.
The main purpose of the week-long event is to coordinate shortwave frequency schedules on a worldwide basis for the B11 season, which begins in October 2011 and ends in March 2012. A major theme at this conference will be the continuing importance of shortwave for international broadcasters, along with examinations of alternative methods of program delivery such as the Internet, satellites, podcasts, local AM and FM retransmissions, etc. The presidents of four NASB member stations will be attending the event to learn about the frequency coordination process and to explain their perspectives on shortwave and international broadcasting in general. These include Dr. Dowell Chow, President of Adventist World Radio; Lauren Libby, President of Trans World Radio; Charles Caudill, President/CEO of World Christian Broadcasting; and Eric Westenberger, President of the corporation which owns WWCR in Nashville, Tenneessee. Other presentations are tentatively scheduled by Sentech of South Africa and about the development of DRM -- Digital Radio Mondiale -- in Russia. Adil Mina of Continental Electronics will open the conference.
HFCC stands for "High Frequency Coordination Conference." For many years now, the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) also participates in these semi-annual meetings. Many Arab delegates are scheduled to participate in the Dallas conference, as well as a delegation from Iran. There will also be major delegations from China, Russia, many European countries and some from Africa, Asia, Australia, North and Latin America. NASB member stations KSDA, KTWR, KNLS, WRMI, WWCR, WEWN and KFBS will have delegates present. Tom Lucey will head the FCC delegation to the HFCC, and the U.S. International Broadcasting Bureau will have a delegation as well. Former NASB President Doug Garlinger will also be in attendance.
The conference will take place at the Sheraton Dallas North Hotel, located very near the Galleria Mall in Dallas. Three excursions are planned for the week, including one to the Continental Electronics factory where high-powered DRM-capable shortwave transmitters are manufactured. Two sponsored dinners are planned at area restaurants to sample the local Texas and Mexican cuisine. An excursion will take place on Friday when the conference ends to nearby Fort Worth to see a longhorn cattle drive, authentic country and western music, a barbecue dinner and a rodeo.
If you have not registered yet and would like to attend the HFCC Conference, it is still possible to do so. The registration fee of $150 can be paid upon arrival. There is more information on the Conference webpage, www.hfcc.org/Bq11/phtml. You can get a registration form by sending an e-mail to info@wrmi.net.
New NASB Facebook Page
The NASB has a new page on Facebook. Much of the material that has normally appeared here in the NASB Newsletter in the past is now appearing on the NASB Facebook page in order to get the news out more quickly. We encourage you to check the page occasionally for the latest news about NASB member organizations and about shortwave radio in general. At the moment, the fastest way to access the page is to go to the NASB webpage, www.shortwave.org. Then click where it says "Find us on Facebook." If you like what you see, we encourage you to click on "Like" so we can get a vanity URL from Facebook.
Look for more information about the NASB on our webpage, www.wrmi.net.
