Why would I want/need one?

The primary reasons people own and use shortwave radios are personal enjoyment and keeping up with local emergency channels.  From a social point of view, shortwave radio is a method of enabling world-wide transmission of information and opinion, and a way to find out information and opinions from around the world. Many countries broadcast to the world in English, making it easy to find out what a given country's position is on those things that it finds important.  Shortwave radio can also provide a way to eavesdrop on the everyday workings of international politics and commerce.  You can hear news and other programs from a wide range of sources, and you can get emergency information by listening to amateur radio broadcasts including Single Side Band (SSB) transmissions. You also have Longwave (LW) band for Ship-to-Shore calls. FM and Medium Wave (MW) are commonly called AM.