That's the big "if." And anything local can be done much cheaper on the Internet. Satellite phone service will make streaming much more available in small towns ... coming soon.
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Saving AM Radio
- Thread starter BruceB
- Start date
I'm not sure there's any place where the AM dial could be described as "empty". The number of licensed AM stations has been declining, but it's -5% over 5 years.
The FCC reported in January 2020 that there were 4593 licensed AM stations, and as of April this year, 4367. That's almost exactly 5%.
For that reason, giving a license for 25 watts on 1400 as part of an "LPAM" service would not make a dent. There are still several dozen stations licensed on 1400, and 25 watts would be lost in the chorus almost anywhere in the US.
The FCC reported in January 2020 that there were 4593 licensed AM stations, and as of April this year, 4367. That's almost exactly 5%.
For that reason, giving a license for 25 watts on 1400 as part of an "LPAM" service would not make a dent. There are still several dozen stations licensed on 1400, and 25 watts would be lost in the chorus almost anywhere in the US.
At my location, I can hear about 10 stations on AM during the day. Five are considered "local" and only one has anything approaching a city-grade signal. All the "locals" have FM translators, and two of them are carrying musical formats. How many listeners to any of these stations are still listening to AM by choice? How many do you think have only an AM radio available to them?
Great posts over the last few days about the technical aspects of saving AM radio. But what about the business case, including programming?
Before TV converted to digital, in the Philadelphia market, people kept 87.7 on their FM car presets so they could listen to the audio of 6ABC Action News, a huge station in terms of ratings. Arbitron (at the time) didn't report any ratings for the audio of Channel 6, but my understanding was that the listening reported was not insignificant.
TV stations now have 24/7 streaming channels that consist of their live newscasts and repeats of newscasts. Why not use an AM station to simulcast the audio? I'm assuming the first argument against this is that TV companies aren't going to want to buy AM radio stations. But radio companies regularly rent their signals to other companies. Bloomberg has had these types of arrangements. And TV stations provide their news programming to other TV stations in the market. In Philly, 6ABC produces a one-hour 10 pm newscasts seven days a week for WPHL-TV (Channel 17).
Before TV converted to digital, in the Philadelphia market, people kept 87.7 on their FM car presets so they could listen to the audio of 6ABC Action News, a huge station in terms of ratings. Arbitron (at the time) didn't report any ratings for the audio of Channel 6, but my understanding was that the listening reported was not insignificant.
TV stations now have 24/7 streaming channels that consist of their live newscasts and repeats of newscasts. Why not use an AM station to simulcast the audio? I'm assuming the first argument against this is that TV companies aren't going to want to buy AM radio stations. But radio companies regularly rent their signals to other companies. Bloomberg has had these types of arrangements. And TV stations provide their news programming to other TV stations in the market. In Philly, 6ABC produces a one-hour 10 pm newscasts seven days a week for WPHL-TV (Channel 17).
Two different things.
TV companies are looking for revenue from their content. They would want AM radio stations to pay them to simulcast their audio. Not the other way around.
Why do they need an AM simulcast if they're already providing a stream of their content?
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That’s what is being tried in Tulsa with KOTV 1170 (ex-KTSB, ex-KFAQ, ex-KVOO).
No they’re not. A major issue with broadcast TV is that the audience is too old. How would adding AM, whose audience is even older, help that problem?
Plus you have to consider the costs of maintaining an AM transmitter site, as well as the future march of technology.
I don't see the point, sorry.
You forgot: The land the towers sit on is more valuable than the station and would generate more revenue for the owners shutting down the station and selling the land.
That is true in some cases, such as large metro areas where urban sprawl has surrounded sites that were rural back in the 30's and 40's when they were built. But a lot of AM sites are in much less valuable areas and the land is not a significant part of the value of the station in question.
In exchange for what?
A couple of requests?
IMHO that would make nighttime local service impossible for few AM stations that don't have a FM translator. More on channel RF pollution.
But what a boon for medium wave DXing! Those old GE SuperRadios are going to be rushed back into production!
As a possible solution to that, how about restricting Part 15 service to the expanded band (1610-1700)?
There aren't too many stations up there, so perhaps it would be less problematic?
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Darn I should have kept my GE stock. Just kidding, I am not sure who has the rights to the "GE" name for radio receivers now.
I wish a DX er would correct me if I am wrong or someone who really remembers the academic angle but I do know WLAC 1510 occasionally has cold weather "skip" in south Alabama and Mississippi on the few cold days we have. WSM never till night. CB skips daytime with legal power. Of course there are folks with "extra power" but that doesn't count.
AM 1600 + is closer to shortwave which can really go hundreds of not thousands of miles on amazingly low power.
There were AM stations back pre 1940 that had only 100 watts that covered towns before RF pollution. I think a 90 percent power cut at night would have to part of the deal 20 watts to 2 watts. Good luck getting everyone to do that.
On some winter days the band doesn't fully close (especially high end). I look for other daytime DX if I hear WCKY, Cincinnati or WLAC in East Tennessee. It has nothing to do with your local weather, I'd occasionally get a 1560 from Ohio with 1000 watts on a sunny, 55 degree day.
Because a 3 meter antenna is more efficient at the high end of the Ancient Modulation band (and that ain't saying much), most Part 15 stations are already at the upper end of the band. Although all that means is that the ERP is in microwatts at best, rather than nanowatts, with 50-75 mW transmitter output. 3 meters is 0.015 wavelengths at 1500 kHz (200 meters), while it's 0.006 wavelengths at 600 kHz (500 meters).