BC-DX TopNews WWDXC #945 BC-DX 945

support services group with sales of o3bn and more than 25,000 employees
in Britain and the US. ... VT also has major interests in education and
training and operates transmission sites for the BBC world service."
Richard Wachmann, The Guardian, 23 March 2010.
via dxld Apr 1.
In 1997, BBC World Service contracted out its shortwave transmission to a
group of BBC engineering employees, who formed the company Merlin
Communications. Merlin owned and operated the BBCWS shortwave and medium
wave transmitters based in UK territories, and operated the transmitters
located elsewhere. In 2000, VT Communications purchased Merlin, at a
pretty profit for the Merlin ex-BBC employees.
This recent transaction is actually a takeover by Babcock. In addition to
leasing (back) shortwave time to BBCWS, VT Communications also leases time
to other international broadcasters through its own and partner sites.
Religious broadcasters seem to be taking over the time formerly occupied
by government-funded stations, but for how long will shortwave
transmission remain a profitable concern? 26 Mar 2010.
(Kim Andrew Elliott, ibid.)
Extract from Kai Ludwig: *) Yupp, VT just got swallowed!
Of course Babcock could seek to get rid of the broadcast distribution
business now.
If I recall correctly, this firm used to be known as Babcock and Wilcox -
and still is when I do a Google search. It has been in business for a very
long time and is perhaps extending it's "arm" into another sector of
engineering?
(Noel R. Green-UK, dxld March 27)
The name Babcock & Wilcox is still in use by a US-based company. But this
is the UK-based one, nowadays Babcock International Group PLC. They are
already in the broadcasting business, by way of installing transmission
equipment, cf.
Actually Babcock does pretty much the same than VT. And after a second
look I rather expect them to keep the former Merlin, also because it
appears to be consolidated with VT's military solutions to a considerable
extent now. An obvious example are VLF submarine communications, for which
transmission equipment has been set up at Skelton if I recall correct.
I'm a bit concerned about this constellation. Broadcasting and military
are fields that just do not belong together. OK, VT has nothing to do with
program content, but still I think that civilian telcom providers are the
reasonable sphere for broadcast distribution, not armaments trusts.
(Kai Ludwig, ibid.)
15760 "UK Rocks the World," *1500-1550* Apr 4, as promoted in Apr 4 email
posted in numerous groups. "This is a UKRTW test broadcast. Post your
reception reports to twitter.com \ UKRTW or e-mail
"Yours Is No Disgrace," "Paint It Black," Overkill," etc. E-mail rpt
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