RNW Moves Hörby SW Transmitters To Madagascar

Southgate Amateur Radio News brings us this story about Radio Netherlands Worldwide moving their transmitters. The newly purchased ABB transmitters are said to be much more energy efficient and this will allow the cost of the new transmitters to be recovered in a short time. 

However, it seems that there is some bad news attached to this: (Quote from Southgate)

"Recently, RNW management announced that it intended to speed up the process of replacing shortwave with other distribution platforms, including the closure of its relay stations in Bonaire and Madagascar. The Bonaire facility is scheduled for closure at the end of October 2012, but no closure date has yet been decided for Madagascar."

Of all the stations in the world, no one would have ever guessed that Radio Netherlands would even consider losing shortwave in favor of other media platforms. Thank God PCJ Radio has decided to keep shortwave radio alive with the new world service! If stations keep taking their shortwave operations off the air, all there will be left are pirates and although pirates aren't all bad, they risk getting raided by their respective broadcast licensing authorities if they operate too regularly as to become predictable.