1 of 1- RadioActive
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Columnist Calls For Return Of CBC's Shortwave Service
Justin Ling in the Toronto Star argues with so much political media interference coming from hostile countries around the world, it's time to bring Canada's voice back to shortwave by reviving Radio Canada International.
"If Prime Minister Mark Carney is looking for a good use for the $150 million in new funding he promised to CBC/Radio-Canada during April’s election, I have a humble suggestion: Revive RCI."
But haven't they torn down all those transmitters? How much would it cost to put everything back up and get this all going again? And do people still tune in to shortwave? Or would this be all online? Lots of questions to answer before this could happen.
The World Needs Canada To Bring Back RCI
- andysradio
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Re: Columnist Calls For Return Of CBC's Shortwave Service
RadioActive wrote:
But haven't they torn down all those transmitters?
Yes the Sackville NB shortwave site is gone. In fact, there is a film about dismantling of the site and the towers coming down: Spectres of Shortwave. Here is one link:
It can't go back there either. Indigenous land issues.
Glenn Hauser has a good suggestion though: Broker time from some other SW broadcaster.
Last edited by andysradio (October 19, 2025 8:28 am)
- Shorty Wave
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Re: Columnist Calls For Return Of CBC's Shortwave Service
Justin Ling in the Toronto Star argues with so much political media interference coming from hostile countries around the world, it's time to bring Canada's voice back to shortwave by reviving Radio Canada International.
But haven't they torn down all those transmitters? How much would it cost to put everything back up and get this all going again? And do people still tune in to shortwave? Or would this be all online? Lots of questions to answer before this could happen.
The World Needs Canada To Bring Back RCI
This is an interesting situation as I still have a decent shortwave radio but barely use it anymore, as I listen to foreign frequencies online now, as much as I love my SW! However, not everyone has access to the internet, so there still may be a place for RCI.
- Hansa
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Re: Columnist Calls For Return Of CBC's Shortwave Service
There are apparently still significant audiences for shortwave in Africa, south Asia, and parts of Latin America, particularly in rural areas. It would make more sense to buy time on shortwave transmitters broadcasting to those areas than building our own. More effective would be buying time on local FM stations, which can be done in most places though obviously not in Myanmar and possibly not in other places if the programs are critical of the government. Shortwave receivers are not widely available in China, Russia (or Ukraine). or the Middle East.
It's a shame CBC sold off Newsworld International a few years ago. An international 24-hour news channel, even if it were only in English and French, would be more useful at this point than shortwave.
- RadioActive
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Re: Columnist Calls For Return Of CBC's Shortwave Service
Online access probably makes the most sense. RCI already has a web presence. (Here's the home page.) But it doesn't solve the problem in places where the Internet is either spotty or heavily controlled. And not everyone in those countries would have the ability to install a VPN to bypass those restrictions.
That's one reason why radio works so well - the signals are harder to block. But you still have to have a radio and be able to reach them on it. In some cases, that's easier said than done.
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Thread Starter- RadioActive
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Re: Columnist Calls For Return Of CBC's Shortwave Service
It would make more sense to buy time on shortwave transmitters broadcasting to those areas than building our own. More effective would be buying time on local FM stations.
Looks like they do have some affiliations with other countries' radio stations. This is at the bottom of all the RCI webpages. 
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Thread Starter- Hansa
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Re: Columnist Calls For Return Of CBC's Shortwave Service
Online access probably makes the most sense. RCI already has a web presence. (Here's the home page.) But it doesn't solve the problem in places where the Internet is either spotty or heavily controlled. And not everyone in those countries would have the ability to install a VPN to bypass those restrictions.
That's one reason why radio works so well - the signals are harder to block. But you still have to have a radio and be able to reach them on it. In some cases, that's easier said than done.
Except many of the places that do have restrictions, such as China, Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and much of the Middle East are also areas where shortwave receivers are uncommon. So yes, signals are harder to block but it doesn't really matter since few people would have the equipment to hear them anyway.
- Evuguy
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Re: Columnist Calls For Return Of CBC's Shortwave Service
I think the question is how do you compete with the BBC WS that has a huge budget, thanks to the UK taxpayer. I no longer see shortwave as an effective medium to reach the masses. Few radios offer the band these days and there's the same problem with man-made noise in people's homes from all the electronic gadgets we now have. Plus, who wants to listen to something that fades in and out these days. In some ways, it's a shame that Worldspace never made a go of it They were the first satellite radio operator and that could have been a good platform for RCI.
More here if your interested:
Last edited by Evuguy (October 20, 2025 9:21 pm)
- RadioActive
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Re: Columnist Calls For Return Of CBC's Shortwave Service
The Walrus has a really long but pretty interesting look at the CBC and whether it's still fulfilling its mandate of bringing Canada to Canadians.
Included - the story of a legendary and popular 60's TV show called "This Hour Has Seven Days," that became a lightning rod for the Corp. and so controversial that nervous management eventually cancelled it.
Does the CBC Still Speak for Canada?
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Thread Starter- torontostan
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Re: Columnist Calls For Return Of CBC's Shortwave Service
Reviving RCI shortwave would be a colossal waste of money. They should be shutting down most ICI transmitters outside of Quebec, not adding more transmitters that nobody listens to.....