All-Digital AM, Breaking New Ground (Article by Ben Downs of Bryan Broadcasting)

[rbc]

The author is vice president and general manager of Bryan Broadcasting in College Station, Texas, and was an early proponent of AM revitalization and the migration to FM translators. On March 25, Bryan petitioned the FCC to initiate a proceeding to authorize the MA3 all-digital mode of HD Radio for any AM station that chooses to do so.
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https://www.radioworld.com/columns-and-views/guest-commentaries/all-digital-am-breaking-new-ground

 

[rbc]

The prospect of a digital-only AM station may still be far on the horizon, but if it one day becomes reality the first step to securing regulatory approval has just occurred. The Federal Communications Commission has put up a proposal submitted by Texas broadcaster Bryan Broadcasting last month for public comment. It’s not a formal rulemaking, but the process could lay the groundwork for a FCC decision allowing digital-only AMs in the future.
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http://www.insideradio.com/free/digital-only-am-proposal-gets-a-closer-look-by-the/article_d7702568-6016-11e9-80a1-ef75e6435bf5.html

 

[Kelly A]

I'm betting that this will go through faster than FM translators for AM stations. The Commission will just rubber-stamp the requirements that as long as a station stays within their authorized mask and maintain any directional field strength parameters. It's pretty much a technical no-brainer. Of course there will be the same old curmudgeon-rant filings that 'AM is just fine the way it is', but that will probably fall on deaf ears at the FCC.