07/21/2009
The publisher of
Passport to World Band Radio told readers that the future of the seminal SWL guide is in "limbo." Acknowledging on the
Passport's Web site that "solid content" is essential to the success of a publication, publisher Larry Magne cited "other considerations" as the impetus behind the decision to possibly cease publication. While Magne gave no exact reason for the decision, it reflects the decline in popularity of shortwave listening, as well as the availability of shortwave schedules on the Internet. Magne said that Passport to World Band Radio, which just released its 25th edition this year, will continue "to maintain the WorldScan® database and uphold all proprietary material. Among other things, this should help allow for an orderly return to production...should conditions allow. For Passport readers and our small team alike, this is a seminal moment. After all, Passport to World Band Radio goes back a quarter century and has had something like a million readers worldwide. But the future has its own rhythm that confounds prognostication. There may yet be more chapters to this story. Stay tuned."
Passport to World Band Radio is
available from the ARRL Online Store.