Not to be Mr Negative, but:
It'll motivate as many people to buy a new radio as AM Stereo did.
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Tampa AM Station Buys Transmitter to Go All-Digital
- Thread starter rbc
- Start date
It'll motivate as many people to buy a new radio as AM Stereo did.
I think they are just dipping into the increasing car audience that now has HD radios. I imagine that Tampa is a big enough market for that.
It isn't as though WMGG is a lone wolf.
Just as WWFD in DC has translators and FM Full Market HD-x on the Number One billing radio station in the Country as WTOP.
WMGG has a sister station in WTMP and they do have a translator at the AMTL on 101.9 in addition to the 96.1 Class A in Dade City. So, it isn't as though only AMHD radios will pick up the OTA programming.
Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!
Just as WWFD in DC has translators and FM Full Market HD-x on the Number One billing radio station in the Country as WTOP.
WMGG has a sister station in WTMP and they do have a translator at the AMTL on 101.9 in addition to the 96.1 Class A in Dade City. So, it isn't as though only AMHD radios will pick up the OTA programming.
Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!
I bought three:
a multi-standard Sony portable,
an Alpine C-Quam car radio,
and a Realistic C-Quam home tuner
😁, 😁, and 😁 !
Since WMGG didn't even show in Nielsen (I believe in the past when they did it was under a 1.0 share by quite a bit) as an analog AM station, just think of how well they'll do as a digital AM....
Wow, I just noticed that NIA Broadcasting's huge 0.6 share for WTMP is a combined number of both WTMP-AM and the FM translator... Maybe WMGG can pull a .1 share if everyone in Tampa has a radio that will receive AM digital...
Wow, I just noticed that NIA Broadcasting's huge 0.6 share for WTMP is a combined number of both WTMP-AM and the FM translator... Maybe WMGG can pull a .1 share if everyone in Tampa has a radio that will receive AM digital...
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WTMP is also broadcast on 96.1HD2 from an antenna site s.w. of downtown Brooksville near the Pasco/Hernando county line, so for the few dozen people with HD radios (guilty 😁) 96.1HD2 is listenable in Paso north of SR 54 and in all of Hemando county west of U.S. 19 and also parts of Sumter county.
In S.E. St Pete , the 97.5 translator's reception is shaky at best; there have been some improvements; previously it wasn't even possible to receive then in downtown SP and points south and. s.s.e.; now if one has their radio and antenna positioned just right it is possible. I checked the other day though and in most antenna and radio placements, WPCV out of Winter Haven was being received at the near USFSP, the Coast Guard Station and at Publix on 3rd St S and 3rd Ave S.
You may have noticed on the NY radio boards, that a graveyard station just outside NYC. (1230K - Yonkers/White Plains)) is about to go "enhanced digital" (I believe that is the phrase being used for digital only stations).
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Consumers don't 'buy' radios anymore. Estimates are that 24% of the vehicles on the road today already have HD radio capability, and can decode MA3/full digital AM already. That's far more receivers already out there in the public than AM stereo ever had.
The MA3 all digital mode does allow for a HD2..but few radios can decode it now..
I'm guessing that the majority of WTMP's numbers (such as they are) come from the AM signal and not the translators...So changing WTMP-AM 1150 to digital is not a great idea. People are already listening to it on AM and they likely don't have radios that will receive an AM digital signal.
Contrarian view: for a format that was born on FM to get any listeners on what is essentially a daytimer AM is unlikely. I'll bet that the two translators contribute about 80% or more of the listening.
Subscribing stations can order a breakout, and make a knowledgeable decision.
There's a 1460 here in Polk, so, no.
Analog AM is 10KHz max (most of us brick wall at 9). Even double that is going to have artifacting. Yes, there is static, and people often call me nuts for saying so, but if it's done right analog AM can sound better than low bitrate digital. AM does not have to sound like a lot of station do. Somebody that's willing to take the time and effort it takes to make AM sound as good as it can, a good processor, and "hot stick" make a huge difference. Unfortunately to get the most possible out of it you need a good wideband radio as well. Unfortunately most are not. "HD" radios are about the worst on analog AM as they're limited to 5Khz..YUCK!
Come on over here to Polk with a good radio, tune in 1330, and be prepared to have your socks blown off.
Now if I coud just talk the owner into CQUAM. 8)
Oh please. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Analog AM doesn't have better frequency response than MA3, nor, does it have better signal to noise ratio as MA3 or IBOC. Wax nostalgic all you want, but the facts don't back up the claims.
Sorry, but to my ear digital artifacting is far worse than well processed AM.
If your hearing is limited to preferring the limited frequency response and noise of analog AM, I doubt your hearing is good enough to hear digital artifacts.
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