This matter may sound a bit esoteric and of interest to only a few . . . it's not.
Under the proposed FY 2019 federal budget, the National Institute of Standards and Technology is proposing to shut down it's shortwave radio stations WWV, WWVB and WWVH.
WWV is the call sign of the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) HF ("shortwave") radio station located near Fort Collins, Colorado. WWV continuously transmits official U.S. Government frequency and time signals on 2.5, 5, 10, 15, and 20 MHz.
These carrier frequencies and time signals are controlled by local atomic clocks traceable to NIST's primary standard in Boulder, Colorado by GPS common view observations and other time transfer methods. NIST also operates the very similar radio station WWVH in Kauai, Hawaii. WWV shares its site near Fort Collins with radio station WWVB which transmits carrier and time code (no voice) on 60 kHz in the LF ("longwave") band.
Both WWV and WWVH announce the Coordinated Universal Time each minute, and make other recorded announcements of general interest on an hourly schedule, including the GPS satellite constellation status and severe oceanic weather warnings. Since they share frequencies, WWV uses a male voice to distinguish itself from WWVH, which uses a female voice. WWV time signals can also be accessed by telephone.
WWV and WWVH, along with NIST's longwave time code station WWVB, are proposed for defunding and elimination in the United States 2019 NIST budget.
So what, you ask?
Well, for starters, do you have one of those "atomic watches" or an "atomic clock" that automatically sets itself? These devices use the WWV signal to set themselves. No WWV, your atomic watch or clock do not work.
Are you a sailor planning on a long-distance sail? You'll need the WWV signal to calibrate your Rolex for celestial navigation.
Scientists -- remember them? -- use the WWV signals to determine ionospheric Doppler shift.
For nine days in June 2012, GPS time signals were not dependable because of a solar radiation flare. Agencies and users who had grown dependent on GPS time signals suddenly found themselves digging out old shortwave radios to receive the WWV signal.
The US military still maintains old-fashioned shortwave radios that operate AM, single-sideband, and Morse code . . . just in case.
Closing WWV, WWVH and WWVB will save $6.3 million . . . Congress loses that much spare change daily in the sofa cushions.
What to do? Contact your Congresscritters, tell them to keep WWV, WWVB and WWVH alive.