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Summary: world radio TV handbook 1999
Review: Frecuencias y direcciones de emisoras de radio del mundo
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Summary: World Radio and Television Handbook
Review: Great reference for elecrtromagnetic communication services.
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Summary: 1999 Is The Last One for Me Until U.S. BCB is updated
Review: I travel North America in a recreational vehicle, acquiring a new front yard every week, typically 250 miles from the preceding one. Each location brings a new set of domestic AM stations, many of which were not heard at the prior location. In the 1999 WRTH, most of the stations are not mentioned by frequency and/or call. None, that I'm aware of, commenced operation less than 12 months ago. All the requisite data is available free at the FCC web site, in easily converted text file format, updated daily. When WRTH has made its U.S. BCB lists current, I'll buy one.
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Summary: This Year's Shortwave "Bible" is a Bit Short Itself
Review: If you have a shortwave radio, you need this book. At only $20, its value to weight ratio is unsurpassed.This is probably the 20th year I've bought a new WRTH, and most of what's in this one is up-to-the-minute. Merging all of the articles (receiver reviews, propagation forecasts, maps, etc.) into one place up front makes the book seem more orderly than past versions. But, the continued split of National and International station listings continues the inconveniece another year. I've never met anyone who likes the "new" split, and I think the Editor should include an article next year justifying why they apparently don't listen to their customers. Granted, each country's broadcasts are in just two places (either National or International) but the split raises a more "hidden" problem. A book like this has two basic purposes: to find a broadcast that you want to listen to, and to find out what a broadcast is that you are listening to. The first use is handled quite well (and always has been) but for the "split" listings, which is unnecessary, but hardly a big problem. But, the second major use, identifying a broadcast, is severly hampered by the omission of National Radio broadcasts from the frequency lisiting we've become accustomed to at the back of the book. With my new book in-hand, I cruised the dial (well, OK, there is no dial on my radio!) and being always on the lookout for something new, I spent some time around 4.8 and 4.9 Mhz. In the Eastern US, that range is chock-full of Central and South American stations just waiting to be QSL'd. Unfortunately, you'll never figure out (without significant effort) what you're listening to; they're not in the frequency listing! To find out what the station is, you'll have to go to the country listings - but which one? If you knew that, you wouldn't need the book. There also seem to be an unacceptable number of errors in the listings. At 1700 GMT, I used the English listing to look for the new station listed, WIBI, but of course, there is no such thing: it's WINB. That same page lists an AWR broadcast from Asia on 12130, but going to the frequency listing for a clue on where it originates from doesn't list the frequency at all. I found quite a few similar omissions. If someone were willing to type all the frequencies in this book into a spreadsheet, then sort them out in order, I'd certainly buy it - but that's what I expected from the WRTH. It's worth buying despite its shortcomings, but a book like this should be more of a help than hinder.
Rating:
Summary: This Year's Shortwave "Bible" is a Bit Short Itself
Review: If you have a shortwave radio, you need this book. At only $20, its value to weight ratio is unsurpassed. This is probably the 20th year I've bought a new WRTH, and most of what's in this one is up-to-the-minute. Merging all of the articles (receiver reviews, propagation forecasts, maps, etc.) into one place up front makes the book seem more orderly than past versions. But, the continued split of National and International station listings continues the inconveniece another year. I've never met anyone who likes the "new" split, and I think the Editor should include an article next year justifying why they apparently don't listen to their customers. Granted, each country's broadcasts are in just two places (either National or International) but the split raises a more "hidden" problem. A book like this has two basic purposes: to find a broadcast that you want to listen to, and to find out what a broadcast is that you are listening to. The first use is handled quite well (and always has been) but for the "split" listings, which is unnecessary, but hardly a big problem. But, the second major use, identifying a broadcast, is severly hampered by the omission of National Radio broadcasts from the frequency lisiting we've become accustomed to at the back of the book. With my new book in-hand, I cruised the dial (well, OK, there is no dial on my radio!) and being always on the lookout for something new, I spent some time around 4.8 and 4.9 Mhz. In the Eastern US, that range is chock-full of Central and South American stations just waiting to be QSL'd. Unfortunately, you'll never figure out (without significant effort) what you're listening to; they're not in the frequency listing! To find out what the station is, you'll have to go to the country listings - but which one? If you knew that, you wouldn't need the book. There also seem to be an unacceptable number of errors in the listings. At 1700 GMT, I used the English listing to look for the new station listed, WIBI, but of course, there is no such thing: it's WINB. That same page lists an AWR broadcast from Asia on 12130, but going to the frequency listing for a clue on where it originates from doesn't list the frequency at all. I found quite a few similar omissions. If someone were willing to type all the frequencies in this book into a spreadsheet, then sort them out in order, I'd certainly buy it - but that's what I expected from the WRTH. It's worth buying despite its shortcomings, but a book like this should be more of a help than hinder.
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Summary: BIGGER & DEFINITELY BETTER
Review: It's out! The 1999 World Radio TV Handbook's 640 pages (up from 608 last year and 560 in 1997) makes it the largest, and I think, most indispensible guidebook available to the international radio monitor. It is 1 ½ inches thick! I certainly couldn't do without it, even in this age of Internet sources providing immediate news of new DX catches. My first impression of WRTH 1999 is of a neater, brighter package. Side-bars on the pages should make for quicker navigation to the required section. All feature articles are included in the first 64 pages printed on glossy paper with generous use of colour. More new receivers than ever are reviewed, and in a more populist, less technically oriented manner. Gee, its so up to date that current receiver prices are even listed in Euros (as well as USD and UK£ currencies)! A welcome addition is a 6 page article on Antennas by Joseph Carr. The station listings by continent, country and frequency are all there, and a number of other new features which I'll mention further on. As one who mainly DX's for 'target stations, what makes WRTH so valuable to me is the country by country listing of radio stations on longwave, medium wave, FM and TV, together with sites, frequencies, powers, schedules, languages and addresses. But I must admit I wasn't happy when the International Radio detail by country was first split off from the National or Local country listings in 1997. That approach continues. For example, details of New Zealand medium wave and FM stations are found on pages 239-242, while shortwave details on Radio NZ International are on page 599. We always had the TV listings split - for NZ they are on page 422. Dear old ZLXA, as a non-international directed shortwave service, is wedged between the MW and FM listings. I think WRTH should consolidate all this data, by country in the traditional format. A little niggle - over half the space on the single Contents page (there were 2-pages last year) lists the page-by-page location of the 14 receiver reviews, so there is no room to detail the contents of the 16-page 'Reference' section at the back. That contains the table of World Time by Country (pity it wasn't adjacent to a useful new colour-coded Time Zone Map on page 56), Abbreviations, detailed International and Religious Broadcasting Organisation listings, DX Club details and so on. Another change: this year a smaller typeface has been used for the frequency listing 'Shortwave Stations of the World', condensing into 23 pages what took 27 pages in last years edition. On the other hand, all the 'Long and Mediumwave Stations' listings are in the same typeface as 1998 but with better clarity due improved line spacing throughout. There's even a bonus country-by-country MW listing for Europe, Africa, Near and Middle East, making a total of 100 pages, compared with 74 pages in 1998. Even though I have been a frequent user of these pages as an international MW DXer, I will nevertheless be writing to the WRTH Editor suggesting that improving the clarity of the Shortwave frequency listing should satisfy more readers in future. Talking of the Editor, I must point out that this is the first WRTH under new Editor David Bobbett, and the book is all the more meritorious for that. While there some emails circulating that point out errors in, for example, the Australian MW listings, the fact remains that this is an awesome undertaking, and without peer as an information source for any broadcasting junkie like me. It is incumbent upon DX and SWL enthusiasts like ourselves to feed updates to WRTH so that such minor errors can be rectified next time and thus retain WRTH's claim to be "the world's most comprehensive and up-to-date guide to broadcasting'". We all know that radio stations are no longer proactive in responding to DX listeners, so are unlikely to be proactive in notifying WRTH themselves. And if you're not already convinced at the value of having WRTVH 1999 to aid your hobby, there's the added attraction of being eligible to win the very latest JRC NRD545 semi-professional communications receiver by returning the WRTH 1999 Questionnaire before 30 April 1999. Plus the 5 runner-ups will receive the 2000 edition of WRTH. If you haven't used the WRTH before or not updated your edition for years, this would be a good time to take the plunge. Worth every penny I reckon! BRYAN CLARK My review first appeared in the January 1999 issue of NZ DX Times, P.O.Box 3011, Auckland, New Zealand (Send US$2 for sample magazine copy)
Rating:
Summary: BIGGER & DEFINITELY BETTER
Review: It's out! The 1999 World Radio TV Handbook's 640 pages (up from 608 last year and 560 in 1997) makes it the largest, and I think, most indispensible guidebook available to the international radio monitor. It is 1 ½ inches thick! I certainly couldn't do without it, even in this age of Internet sources providing immediate news of new DX catches. My first impression of WRTH 1999 is of a neater, brighter package. Side-bars on the pages should make for quicker navigation to the required section. All feature articles are included in the first 64 pages printed on glossy paper with generous use of colour. More new receivers than ever are reviewed, and in a more populist, less technically oriented manner. Gee, its so up to date that current receiver prices are even listed in Euros (as well as USD and UK£ currencies)! A welcome addition is a 6 page article on Antennas by Joseph Carr. The station listings by continent, country and frequency are all there, and a number of other new features which I'll mention further on. As one who mainly DX's for 'target stations, what makes WRTH so valuable to me is the country by country listing of radio stations on longwave, medium wave, FM and TV, together with sites, frequencies, powers, schedules, languages and addresses. But I must admit I wasn't happy when the International Radio detail by country was first split off from the National or Local country listings in 1997. That approach continues. For example, details of New Zealand medium wave and FM stations are found on pages 239-242, while shortwave details on Radio NZ International are on page 599. We always had the TV listings split - for NZ they are on page 422. Dear old ZLXA, as a non-international directed shortwave service, is wedged between the MW and FM listings. I think WRTH should consolidate all this data, by country in the traditional format. A little niggle - over half the space on the single Contents page (there were 2-pages last year) lists the page-by-page location of the 14 receiver reviews, so there is no room to detail the contents of the 16-page 'Reference' section at the back. That contains the table of World Time by Country (pity it wasn't adjacent to a useful new colour-coded Time Zone Map on page 56), Abbreviations, detailed International and Religious Broadcasting Organisation listings, DX Club details and so on. Another change: this year a smaller typeface has been used for the frequency listing 'Shortwave Stations of the World', condensing into 23 pages what took 27 pages in last years edition. On the other hand, all the 'Long and Mediumwave Stations' listings are in the same typeface as 1998 but with better clarity due improved line spacing throughout. There's even a bonus country-by-country MW listing for Europe, Africa, Near and Middle East, making a total of 100 pages, compared with 74 pages in 1998. Even though I have been a frequent user of these pages as an international MW DXer, I will nevertheless be writing to the WRTH Editor suggesting that improving the clarity of the Shortwave frequency listing should satisfy more readers in future. Talking of the Editor, I must point out that this is the first WRTH under new Editor David Bobbett, and the book is all the more meritorious for that. While there some emails circulating that point out errors in, for example, the Australian MW listings, the fact remains that this is an awesome undertaking, and without peer as an information source for any broadcasting junkie like me. It is incumbent upon DX and SWL enthusiasts like ourselves to feed updates to WRTH so that such minor errors can be rectified next time and thus retain WRTH's claim to be "the world's most comprehensive and up-to-date guide to broadcasting'". We all know that radio stations are no longer proactive in responding to DX listeners, so are unlikely to be proactive in notifying WRTH themselves. And if you're not already convinced at the value of having WRTVH 1999 to aid your hobby, there's the added attraction of being eligible to win the very latest JRC NRD545 semi-professional communications receiver by returning the WRTH 1999 Questionnaire before 30 April 1999. Plus the 5 runner-ups will receive the 2000 edition of WRTH. If you haven't used the WRTH before or not updated your edition for years, this would be a good time to take the plunge. Worth every penny I reckon! BRYAN CLARK My review first appeared in the January 1999 issue of NZ DX Times, P.O.Box 3011, Auckland, New Zealand (Send US$2 for sample magazine copy)
Rating: 
Summary: Why music ids are missing?
Review: Since 1974 this is the first time I'm not buying the WRTH. Quality has gone worsening in the last ten years, and -- as stated by other readers -- the strange splitting-editing is not handy. More: there is something I don't understand, and people at WRTH never answered to my two letters: the suppression of music identification scores. OK, not everybody can read music, but often the music id is the only way to identify a rare station in some exotic languages. Add the fact that often the station/program presented in the WRTH schedules is totally absent in the frequency. If editors at WRTH are not interested in doing a good job, I'm not interested in wasting my money.
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Summary: often outdated info on broadcast addresses and personnel
Review: The best broadcast directory available, however addresses and listings of broadcast executives are often out of date.....does not offer a mid year update either by mail or on the web....could be a lot better.....current sales center on old rather than new readers
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Summary: Highly recommended
Review: The WRTH is the best reference book you can probably buy for a serious shortwave listener (SWL-er) or DX-er. The frequency listings and the broadcasters' information is the most complete one available in a book format. Two watch-outs: 1.- Information on local AM and TV broadcasters is incomplete and sometimes outdated. But anyway, this book's primary intention is not to give you details about your local TV or radio stations - for that purpose better buy "TV-guide". 2.- The SW frequency listings in the WRTH 2000 edition are missining information about tropical band (local) stations. The missing information is available via Internet on the WRTH site. The stations are correctly listed in the country sections, but omitted in the frequency summary. The section about receiver reviews and propagation data are very complete and professional, much metter than Passport to Worldband Radio. The only missing part is information in which past editions of WRTH specific receivers have been reviewed or how to obtain a re-print of these reviews. I tried to contact WRTH by e-mail in numerous ocassions to get this info, without success. In summary, WRTH is the best reference book for a serious SWL-er or DX-er, but it is more speciallized and limited in broad SW subject coverage than, for example, the Passport to Worlband Radio (also available on Amazon).
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