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WFAS1230 Digital AM

B

Barry

I don't understand why WFAS 1230 AM in Hartsdale NY continues to use a signal that can only be received by HD radios. I thought that would only be a temporary experiment. I realize that even with a conventional signal, this station would likely have a small audience. But why limit it even more?
And if Cumulus wants it to continue broadcasting a digital signal, why simulcast the talk format on 103.9 FM, when music would benefit more from the sound improvement offered by this technology?
 
Barry said:
I don't understand why WFAS 1230 AM in Hartsdale NY continues to use a signal that can only be received by HD radios. I thought that would only be a temporary experiment. I realize that even with a conventional signal, this station would likely have a small audience. But why limit it even more?
And if Cumulus wants it to continue broadcasting a digital signal, why simulcast the talk format on 103.9 FM, when music would benefit more from the sound improvement offered by this technology?
Click to expand...

Better quality sound and getting cumulus/westwood national shows cleared in the nyc market is what this is all about
 
If you want to save AM, all stations should switch to digital. Announce the change over continually way in advance and options to continue to receive the station if you do not have HD radio. (i.e. streaming, replacement radios and bluetooth converter kits)
 
The above responses, while interesting, don't explain why Cumulus doesn't just use 103.9 FM (alone) in New York to clear its nationwide talk programming. And I still don't know the possible reason for reducing the AM's small audience even further by broadcasting on a digital signal that can only be received on an HD radio. At least if standard AM HD was used, the programming could be heard on a standard analog radio, while still sounding very clear on an HD set. The talk format that WFAS AM simulcasts doesn't really benefit from ultra high quality audio.
 
I suppose Cumulus officials are just not paying a lot of attention to little 1230 in White Plains. Yes, Cumulus authorized the experiment and paid for the equipment. But I guess few corporate people are following up on it.

Why only go digital and not broadcast a standard analog signal too? I think the signal for each service isn't as strong if both are operating at the same time. But I don't think this experiment really worked. At 1,000 watts, the signal is fairly limited, not able to be heard in much of New York City. There are so few AM radios that can receive HD signals.

If you're in or near White Plains, yes, the station sounds good. But it drops in and out if you are more than 20 or 25 miles from the tower.
 
Cumulus has had 103.9 and 1230 on the block for awhile with no takers whatsoever. Using 1230 for a HD-only transmission at least gives it a purpose. The only alternative is to turn in the licenses and sell the AM tower’s land, which might be worth more than the station itself.
 
Cumulus has no actual purpose for WFAS AM. A 1000 watt AM is totally worthless for reaching a salable audience in 2022.
So it has become an experimental testbed like Hubbard's WWFD near Baltimore. Running WW1 talk programs 24/7 is essentially free programming.

I'm sure WFAS AM and WFAS-FM are available for purchase if you want to do something different.
 
Nathan Obral said:
Cumulus has had 103.9 and 1230 on the block for awhile with no takers whatsoever. Using 1230 for a HD-only transmission at least gives it a purpose. The only alternative is to turn in the licenses and sell the AM tower’s land, which might be worth more than the station itself.
Click to expand...
The FM might have some value to an ethnic broadcaster. Right now, Cumulus gains more by clearing their Westwood 1 programming on a "NYC signal"
 
If Cumulus wants to use WFAS 1230 Digital AM as an experiment, why not put a music format on it, so that the superior audio of AM HD is more apparent? For example, instead of simulcasting the talk programming on the FM, perhaps they could use the signal to clear the national Nash country music programming. Or play some Alt music, Like the current talk programming, it would cost Cumulus nearly nothing.
 
Barry said:
If Cumulus wants to use WFAS 1230 Digital AM as an experiment, why not put a music format on it, so that the superior audio of AM HD is more apparent? For example, instead of simulcasting the talk programming on the FM, perhaps they could use the signal to clear the national Nash country music programming. Or play some Alt music, Like the current talk programming, it would cost Cumulus nearly nothing.
Click to expand...

higher costs of music licensing

this costs them little to operate
 
If they can advertise ShamWow to the masses, then surely they could advertise and get the word out of what some people are calling a useless AM signal even if it is HD digital only. Sure reaching Millions isn't really gonna happen, but dozens or hundreds of people is, or perhaps thousands is feasible if the content was something in high demand. As long as it's more than zero people listening that's all that matters. 100 or 1000 people doesn't make a big difference here, the station is run cheap as an asset not an expense since it's pretty much electricity cost and not much more. 1,000 Watts in one hour is like 10 to 20 cents an hour to the power company which I can even afford.
 
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