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Has WBZ-AM Finally Dumped IBOC For Good?!?

Uncle Kaimbridge

Uncle Kaimbridge

Could it actually be that WBZ-AM has finally thrown in the IBOC towel? P=)
They have been turning it off at night for the past few years, to protect (then co‐owned) adjacent channel KDKA.
And they do occasionally shut it off for up to 2-3 weeks at a time, either for tower work (hence, using the IBOC‐less alt. xmtr), or waiting for a software upgrade/replacement.
However, after being off several times since last summer for 2-3 weeks at a stretch, coming back on Dec.6th, then going off again a week later, it hasnʼt been back since (well over 2 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙨 )!! :cool:
Can we actually celebrate...or am I jinxing it by saying anything and it turns out to just be an extended outage?!? P=/
 
For many years, Bob Savage, owner of WYSL 1040AM in Rochester NY, conducted a very vocal campaign directed against the WBZ HD signal. He said the night signal was interfering with his radio station. He complained multiple times to the station and the FCC, getting ignored by both places. Then he got himself a couple of FM translators, and now he doesn't seem to care any more.
 
TheBigA said:
For many years, Bob Savage, owner of WYSL 1040AM in Rochester NY, conducted a very vocal campaign directed against the WBZ HD signal. He said the night signal was interfering with his radio station. He complained multiple times to the station and the FCC, getting ignored by both places. Then he got himself a couple of FM translators, and now he doesn't seem to care any more.
Click to expand...

IIRC, from what i remember of Bob's posts back in the day, there were also complaints from Pittsburgh-area listeners about WBZ's IBOC signal, and vice-versa from Boston about KDKA. I used to complain about a similar situation in Phoenix, where KNX's IBOC wiped out local KDUS on 1060, even when KNX's analog signal was weak.
 
TheBigA said:
For many years, Bob Savage, owner of WYSL 1040AM in Rochester NY, conducted a very vocal campaign directed against the WBZ HD signal. He said the night signal was interfering with his radio station. He complained multiple times to the station and the FCC, getting ignored by both places. Then he got himself a couple of FM translators, and now he doesn't seem to care any more.
Click to expand...

Why would such a complaint be "ignored" by the FCC? Surely it would have investigated to determine if it had any merit, no? Saying it ignored the complaint implies that the FCC was on the take from big corporate radio. I hope that's not the case.
 
I think that the previous owner, CBS, was much more actively pro-HD (IBOC) than the new owner iHeart (Clear Channel).

Of course iHeart will keep their main FM HD1's, but they shut off some of the FM HD2's and HD3's that CBS ran in Boston before the sales, and they probably see no need to hassle with (and pay expenses for) WBZ in HD on AM. I'd guess it's gone for good.
 
CTListener said:
Why would such a complaint be "ignored" by the FCC? Surely it would have investigated to determine if it had any merit, no? Saying it ignored the complaint implies that the FCC was on the take from big corporate radio. I hope that's not the case.
Click to expand...

Many of us felt that the FCC considered they had mucked up AM stereo at the end of the 70's, and they wanted to do what they could to push digital, just as was being done in TV. Keep in mind that HD has pretty broad-based support at the offset, as it seemed like it might "save radio".
 
CTListener said:
Why would such a complaint be "ignored" by the FCC?
Click to expand...

If you go back about ten years in the HD Radio forum, you'll see our discussion on the subject. Bob is an owner who is also an engineer with over 50 years experience in radio. I was very impressed with his passion on the subject. Here's one of his responses describing his interaction with the FCC:

Savage said:
Actually, BigA, as noted recently by Barry McLarnon in RW, the FCC's response to our complaint was far LESS than "condescending." The response was to ignore it completely. In fact, two separate complaints, over a hundred pages of findings, and four CD-Rs documenting nine weeks of interference at 43 different locations within the protected contours of all three WYSL directional patterns. Sworn statements from two respected consulting engineers. Ignored.

Far more serious potentially for HD are the Petitions for Reconsideration just filed. As we all know, the FCC staff can ignore the interference complaints in typical kiss-up-to-iBiquity fashion, but PFR's are another matter entirely, subject to appeal all the way to the DC Circuit Court. I wouldn't want to have to defend HD Radio in light of the exhaustive public record of interference, assuming the Petitioners have decent lawyers.
Click to expand...
 
When I am in my daily driver tomorrow I'll check out WBZ-A and see if the IBOC kicks in.

Remember when AM IBOC was being tested it was daylight hours only?

The HD splash over at night kills first adjacent stations hundreds of miles away , which is probably why KDKA is not happy on 1020
 
Kemosabe said:
What about iHeart AMs?
Click to expand...

Remember, people, that both iHeart and Entercom are making extra efforts to push their streaming services. I don't have HD anymore in either of our cars, and on my newer AM radios in our cars and at home WBZ really sounds muffled, but, wow, when I stream WBZ in my car, the audio is super clear, probably better than what HD on AM could deliver. As I mentioned before, HD reception on FM is rather spotty. But the iHeart streaming app just keeps on putting out good-quality sound.

Think about it: you're a big-time broadcast conglomerate with 50,000-watt AM blowtorches throughout much of the country. Your HD sidebands are bound to pi$$ off either some small-market station at night, or even a sister AM on an adjacent channel. Who needs the grief? If listeners want that AM blowtorch in HD, let them (1) either listen on FM to HD, or (2) stream via a rather well-polished app.

Question: does anyone have any comments on how FM HD sub-channels are faring with all the translators and LPFMs and pirates (!) on the band?
 
nowradioguy said:
Your HD sidebands are bound to pi$$ off either some small-market station at night, or even a sister AM on an adjacent channel. Who needs the grief?
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I hate to tell you but that's not a concern of anyone I know. The real issue of AM HD is it doesn't get you anything because fewer people have AM radios. The better platform, if you're going to do this, is FM. So that's what most people are doing. I know that's what iHeart's WOR in NYC is doing.

nowradioguy said:
Question: does anyone have any comments on how FM HD sub-channels are faring with all the translators and LPFMs and pirates (!) on the band?
Click to expand...

There have been dozens of discussions on this subject around the country. Just use the search function. Lots of AM stations are being simulcast on FM HD-2s, as well as translators, and the small AMs are having so much success that they'd love to be able to just shut down the AM signal completely.
 
880 WCBS in NYC also shut off its IBOC/HD a few days ago. But it's still on at 1010 WINS (NYC) and 1210 WPHT (Philadelphia) -- who had it off for several months in 2018 until it reappeared in late December. 1060 KYW in Philly also turned their IBOC off in 2018 and it has not been back on since then.
 
kevtronics said:
880 WCBS in NYC also shut off its IBOC/HD a few days ago. But it's still on at 1010 WINS (NYC) and 1210 WPHT (Philadelphia) -- who had it off for several months in 2018 until it reappeared in late December. 1060 KYW in Philly also turned their IBOC off in 2018 and it has not been back on since then.
Click to expand...

WTIC 1090 Hartford is still wiping out WBAL with its IBOC, too.
 
Eli Polonsky said:
WTIC is 1080.
Click to expand...

That is the point, a first adjacent with IBOC will splash over and in fringe areas, especially at night cause interference.

Distant stations that used to come in at night are killed by IBOC among other things.

IMHO AM IBOC should have been shut down at sunset/critical hours and not allowed at night.
 
The big 50 kW stations that are left still using IBOC:

670 WSCR Chicago (Entercom)
720 KDWN Las Vegas (Beasley)
780 WBBM Chicago (Entercom)
810 WGY Schenectady, NY (iHeartRadio)
950 WWJ Detroit (Entercom)
1010 WINS NYC (Entercom)
1070 KNX LA (Entercom)
1080 WTIC Hartford, CT (Entercom)
1120 KMOX St. Louis (Entercom)
1140 WRVA Richmond, VA (iHeartRadio)
1140 KHTK Sacramento, CA (Entercom)
1160 KSL Salt Lake City, UT (Bonneville)
1170 KFAQ Tulsa, OK (Griffin Communications)
1200 WOAI San Antonio, TX (iHeartRadio)
1210 WPHT Philadelphia (Entercom)
1270 WXYT Detroit (Entercom)
1530 WCKY Cincinnati, OH (iHeartRadio)
 
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