Media Network is the name of a weekly

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...

programme broadcast on

Radio Netherlands Worldwide Radio Netherlands (RNW; nl, Radio Nederland Wereldomroep) was a public radio and television network based in Hilversum, producing and transmitting programmes for international audiences outside the Netherlands from 1947 to 2012. Its services i ...

from 7 May 1981 until 26 October 2000. When the programme began the station was known as Radio Nederland, but was renamed Radio Netherlands shortly thereafter. The programme concentrated on

communications Communication (from la, communicare, meaning "to share" or "to be in relation with") is usually defined as the transmission of information. The term may also refer to the message communicated through such transmissions or the field of inquir ...

topics with particular reference to international

shortwave Shortwave radio is radio transmission using shortwave (SW) radio frequencies. There is no official definition of the band, but the range always includes all of the high frequency band (HF), which extends from 3 to 30 MHz (100 to 10 me ...

broadcasting Broadcasting is the distribution (business), distribution of sound, audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic medium (communication), mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio ...

, but also went on to cover

mediumwave Medium wave (MW) is the part of the medium frequency (MF) radio band used mainly for AM radio broadcasting. The spectrum provides about 120 channels with more limited sound quality than FM stations on the FM broadcast band. During the daytime ...

and

longwave In radio, longwave, long wave or long-wave, and commonly abbreviated LW, refers to parts of the radio spectrum with wavelengths longer than what was originally called the medium-wave broadcasting band. The term is historic, dating from the e ...

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

satellite A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioisotope ...

internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...

, reviews of shortwave receivers and other electronic devices. It was produced and presented by Jonathan Marks. In the course of 1994, he was joined by colleague Diana Janssen, who was working as a media researcher at the station, co-hosted the show until shortly before its end. Media Network ran for over 1000 editions.

Early history

Jonathan Marks
a British radio producer arrived in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

in August 1980. He had previously freelanced for

Radio Austria International Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitt ...

in the period 1976–1980 and briefly for the World Radio Club programme running on the

BBC World Service The BBC World Service is an international broadcasting, international broadcaster owned and operated by the BBC, with funding from the Government of the United Kingdom, British Government through the Foreign Secretary, Foreign Secretary's o ...

. He was hired as the fifth host of the Radio Nederland "DX Jukebox" programme, a technical show that had been running on the English service since the 1958. His first show was broadcast on 7 August 1980. The content of "DX Jukebox" also revolved around shortwave broadcasting, giving information on schedules for various other stations as well as a variety of details on improving reception. As the name suggested, a portion of the show was devoted to

music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...

. Marks decided that the show needed to be updated to reflect a new era. Fewer listeners were building their own radios. The music was shortened and a name change was also planned for the middle of 1981, with Media Network being the name suggested by Roger Broadbent, a colleague producer. Audience reactions suggested a demand for a new style of programme to be not just about when and on what frequency one could listen to a given station on shortwave, but also about ''why'' one should listen. During the early 1980s, a time when international

telephony Telephony ( ) is the field of technology involving the development, application, and deployment of telecommunication services for the purpose of electronic transmission of voice, fax, or data, between distant parties. The history of telephony is i ...

was still of a potentially mediocre sound quality (making it unsuitable for shortwave broadcasts), Media Network went against the established wisdom and made extensive use of the telephone. Calls were made to the show's various contributors. On many occasions where telephone quality was deemed too poor for broadcast, a

tape recording An audio tape recorder, also known as a tape deck, tape player or tape machine or simply a tape recorder, is a sound recording and reproduction device that records and plays back sounds usually using magnetic tape for storage. In its present- ...

was made at both ends of the line, then the person with whom Marks was speaking would post the tape to the Netherlands. The two recordings were subsequently edited together resulting in a conversation with much better sound quality.

Show format

Over the years the show had many regular contributors who provided valuable information on stations that went on or off the air,

radio propagation Radio propagation is the behavior of radio waves as they travel, or are propagated, from one point to another in vacuum, or into various parts of the atmosphere. As a form of electromagnetic radiation, like light waves, radio waves are affecte ...

conditions, new communications technology and the development of digital formats such as DAT, CD and DVD. Listeners were also encouraged to

telephone A telephone is a telecommunications device that permits two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most efficiently the human voice, into e ...

an answer line and leave their comments and questions. These messages became an integral part of the programme. The show prided itself on being less predictable than its predecessor by reporting from international conferences, compiling thematic documentaries and organising its own research surveys into radio related publications and receivers. On some occasions, the reviews of receivers conducted by the show had an influence on the manufacturers who later contacted Media Network for advice on improving their products. Specials covered historic events as conveyed by the media, such as the first

Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...

, the

Falklands War The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial de ...

and

propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and in more recent conflicts. There were also many

DXpedition A DX-pedition is an expedition to what is considered an exotic place by amateur radio operators and DX listeners, typically because of its remoteness, access restrictions, or simply because there are very few radio amateurs active from that pl ...

s or media safari documentaries to profile stations in different parts of the world (e.g. South Africa, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Bonaire). Media Network was also well known for its independent and impartial reviews of radio receivers often produced in conjunction with World Radio TV Handbook.

Radio programme becomes weblog

After Diana Janssen left the show in September 2000 to pursue another career with Forrester Research, Jonathan Marks (who was also employed as Radio Netherlands' Director of Programmes) made the decision to end the show. He cited the increasingly demanding task of fulfilling a corporate role at Radio Netherlands combined with producing a show of a "high standard that we strive for and you deserve". The four editions that followed were replays of popular specials with a finale on 26 October 2000. The editorship of the program was handed over to Andy Sennitt (a frequent contributor also working at Radio Netherlands) who continued the brand as a

weblog A blog (a truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order ...

until 24 March 2012, shortly before Sennitt retired. The Media Network blog has now been removed from the Radio Netherlands Worldwide site. A copy is available a
archive.org
No new material or comments will be published there. The Media News aspects of that site have been transferred to th
Critical Distance blog
edited by Jonathan Marks. This is a non-commercial venture. In February, 2010, Jonathan Marks, now an independent media strategist, launched a project called the Media Network Vintage Vault which allows the general public to download studio quality editions in

Mp3 MP3 (formally MPEG-1 Audio Layer III or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III) is a coding format for digital audio developed largely by the Fraunhofer Society in Germany, with support from other digital scientists in the United States and elsewhere. Origin ...

format. As of December 2018, over 510 editions have been

digitized DigitizationTech Target. (2011, April). Definition: digitization. ''WhatIs.com''. Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/digitization is the process of converting information into a digital (i.e. computer- ...

and made available free of charge. Some other programmes made by Jonathan Marks have also been uploaded to the same website, such as "Marks on Mechanics" and "The Hitchhiker's Guide to

DXing DXing is the hobby of receiving and identifying distant radio or television signals, or making two-way radio contact with distant stations in amateur radio, citizens' band radio or other two-way radio communications. Many DXers also attempt to ...

", a comedic spoof of

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' (sometimes referred to as ''HG2G'', ''HHGTTG'', ''H2G2'', or ''tHGttG'') is a comic science fiction, comedy science fiction franchise created by Douglas Adams. Originally The Hitchhiker's Guide to th ...

which had shortwave radio as its basis.Media Network Vintage Vault
The vault for complete Media Network shows taken from the collection 1981-2000

References

External links

{{Commons category, Media Network
Media Network blog 1983- 2012 on Wayback machineMedia Network Vintage Vault RecordingsMedia Network blog becomes Critical DistanceArchive of Media Network Receiver Reviews
Radio Netherlands Worldwide programs 1981 radio programme debuts Documentary radio programs English-language radio programs 2000 radio programme endings International broadcasting