[AMRadio] Re: future of AM radio

[SBJohnston at aol.com]

Bob KB1OKL

>I'm not sure where you live Steve, but here in MA I 
>nightly get co-channel interference big time
>for example I can't listen to WSM anymore on 650 
>because of WFAN NY 

WFAN is on 660 - if they played music with NRSC or pre-NRSC bandwdiths and 
preemphasis on the analog you'd get huge interference on WSM on 650 - that's the 
very next channel! 

I did not say there wasn't interference from HD, of course there is.  But the 
entire allocations "plan" on the standard broadcast band is premised on that 
the fact that interference is acceptable if it lets more signals on the air.

There were already WAY TOO MANY stations on the band.  My fond memories of 
listening to far away stations at night were no longer possible in most cases 
BEFORE digital.  

The interference rules were thrown out the window several times to allow 
companies to put more signals on the air.   With the exception of non-commercial 
stations, and there aren't many of those on the AM band, the purpose of 
broadcasting is as a money-making business.  

It is not there to provide a hobby for you and me to listen to distant 
stations.

My AM station, WHA, is one of the very oldest stations (9XM in 1917), 
(completely non-commercial) and is running HD very successfully as a way to get 
listeners to think AM is cool again.  Ratings are up, contributions are up, and 
listeners are happy.  Sounds like a success to me.  I've not received even one 
complaint!

The inside story from Citadel is that they shut down night HD primarily 
because many of their market GMs had wide-bandwidth radios in their luxury cars and 
were hearing the digital from two channels away, and like radio station 
bosses aways do, they extrapolated from their personal experience to the whole 
audience.  But very few people have wide IF radios - that is how the whole idea 
works.  

Night time interference is a technical issue to be solved but I think it will 
be handled OK.  And if it isn't, then I suggest you buy an HD radio and have 
some fun getting digital lock on distant stations - a new kind of DXing.

Steve WD8DAS




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