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AM Stereo: Who's left?

J

JH_Radio

Who is still broadcasting in C-QUAM around the Philly area? A music format that I actually know would be nice... Such as oldies, radio disney, classic hits, etc? I know beggers can't be choosers, but I thought I'd ask.
When I go home I would like to able to actually receive a stereo signal on my SRF-A100. I do not get WREF out of CT from here in NYC. Mono AM sstations sound super crisp so I can not picture how good stereo would sound!<P ID="signature">______________
John
E-mail: [email protected]
AIM: RainAngelsRule
MSN: [email protected]</P>
 
> Who is still broadcasting in C-QUAM around the Philly area?
> A music format that I actually know would be nice... Such as
> oldies, radio disney, classic hits, etc? I know beggers
> can't be choosers, but I thought I'd ask.
> When I go home I would like to able to actually receive a
> stereo signal on my SRF-A100. I do not get WREF out of CT
> from here in NYC. Mono AM sstations sound super crisp so I
> can not picture how good stereo would sound!

Since this is the NJ board, I'll list AM Stereo signals which listeners anywhere in NJ might have a chance of receiving:

600 WICC Bridgeport, CT (Talk/some music on weekends)
800 WLAD Danburt, CT (Full Service talk/music)
850 WREF Ridgefield, CT (Oldies - daytime only)
940 WADV Lebanon, PA (Christian -- difficult to receive anymore due to IBOC hash from 950 WPEN)
1160 WYNS Lehighton, PA (Sports Talk; was AM Stereo during previous ownership... not sure if this is still the case today)
1290 WJBR Wilmington, DE (Sports Talk)
1310 WEMG Camden, NJ (Spanish music)
1450 WCTC New Brunswick, NJ (Talk)
1490 WBCB Levittown, PA (Full Service)
1580 (no call) Warren Township, NJ (occasional low-power AM Stereo broadcasts by yours truly!)
1600 WKEN Dover, DE (Gospel)
1660 WWRU Jersey City, NJ (Ethnic)
1680 WTTM Princeton, NJ (Indian music)

Also a few more AM Stereo signals which can be received at night by skywave DX, some more consistently than others:

630 CFCO Chatham, Ontario, Canada (Oldies)
760 WJR Detroit, MI (Talk/some music on weekends)
790 CIGM Sudbury, Ontario, Canada (Country)
890 WLS Chicago, IL (Talk)
900 CHML Hamilton, Ontario, Canada (Full Service talk/music)
1030 WBZ Boston, MA (Talk; occasionally they use their backup transmitter which is AM Stereo-equipped; normal programming is IBOC daytime/mono AM nighttime)
1520 WWKB Buffalo, NY (Oldies)
1580 WPGC Morningside, MD (Gospel "Heaven 1580")
1620 WDHP Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands (Full Service)
1630 KCJJ Iowa City, IA (Hot AC)
1670 WMWR Dry Branch, GA (Talk)
1680 WDSS Ada, MI (Radio Disney)
1690 WPTX Lexington Park, MD (Sports)
1700 WEUV Huntsville, AL (Gospel)

If you'd like to get a taste of what AM Stereo can sound like at its very best, try these MP3 audio clips of 1242 JOLF, broadcasting 100,000 watts (non-directional!) of AM Stereo in Tokyo, Japan... the DJ chatter is in Japanese, but the music is mostly Oldies/Classic Rock in English (be patient for these high-quality MP3 files to download!):

ftp://ftp.amstereoradio.com/airchecks/japan/1242JOLF-2.mp3
ftp://ftp.amstereoradio.com/airchecks/japan/1242JOLF-4.mp3
ftp://ftp.amstereoradio.com/airchecks/japan/1242JOLF-6.mp3

Closer to home, here's a very good taste of 1450 WCTC in hi-fi AM Stereo:

ftp://ftp.amstereoradio.com/uploads/wjrflash.mp3
<P ID="signature">______________
noiboc.jpg
</P>
 
Re: AM Stereo: But...WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

KYW in Philadelphia used to broadcast in AM stereo, right? Why did they stop? There must be a downside to it? Why are folks even still doing it? How many people are actually equipped to receive it? (And to be blunt--but not rude, so don't take it the wrong way: How many AM listeners even care?)

> > Who is still broadcasting in C-QUAM around the Philly
> area?
> > A music format that I actually know would be nice... Such
> as
> > oldies, radio disney, classic hits, etc? I know beggers
> > can't be choosers, but I thought I'd ask.
> > When I go home I would like to able to actually receive a
> > stereo signal on my SRF-A100. I do not get WREF out of CT
> > from here in NYC. Mono AM sstations sound super crisp so I
>
> > can not picture how good stereo would sound!
>
> Since this is the NJ board, I'll list AM Stereo signals
> which listeners anywhere in NJ might have a chance of
> receiving:
>
> 600 WICC Bridgeport, CT (Talk/some music on weekends)
> 800 WLAD Danburt, CT (Full Service talk/music)
> 850 WREF Ridgefield, CT (Oldies - daytime only)
> 940 WADV Lebanon, PA (Christian -- difficult to receive
> anymore due to IBOC hash from 950 WPEN)
> 1160 WYNS Lehighton, PA (Sports Talk; was AM Stereo during
> previous ownership... not sure if this is still the case
> today)
> 1290 WJBR Wilmington, DE (Sports Talk)
> 1310 WEMG Camden, NJ (Spanish music)
> 1450 WCTC New Brunswick, NJ (Talk)
> 1490 WBCB Levittown, PA (Full Service)
> 1580 (no call) Warren Township, NJ (occasional low-power AM
> Stereo broadcasts by yours truly!)
> 1600 WKEN Dover, DE (Gospel)
> 1660 WWRU Jersey City, NJ (Ethnic)
> 1680 WTTM Princeton, NJ (Indian music)
>
> Also a few more AM Stereo signals which can be received at
> night by skywave DX, some more consistently than others:
>
> 630 CFCO Chatham, Ontario, Canada (Oldies)
> 760 WJR Detroit, MI (Talk/some music on weekends)
> 790 CIGM Sudbury, Ontario, Canada (Country)
> 890 WLS Chicago, IL (Talk)
> 900 CHML Hamilton, Ontario, Canada (Full Service talk/music)
>
> 1030 WBZ Boston, MA (Talk; occasionally they use their
> backup transmitter which is AM Stereo-equipped; normal
> programming is IBOC daytime/mono AM nighttime)
> 1520 WWKB Buffalo, NY (Oldies)
> 1580 WPGC Morningside, MD (Gospel "Heaven 1580")
> 1620 WDHP Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands (Full
> Service)
> 1630 KCJJ Iowa City, IA (Hot AC)
> 1670 WMWR Dry Branch, GA (Talk)
> 1680 WDSS Ada, MI (Radio Disney)
> 1690 WPTX Lexington Park, MD (Sports)
> 1700 WEUV Huntsville, AL (Gospel)
>
> If you'd like to get a taste of what AM Stereo can sound
> like at its very best, try these MP3 audio clips of 1242
> JOLF, broadcasting 100,000 watts (non-directional!) of AM
> Stereo in Tokyo, Japan... the DJ chatter is in Japanese, but
> the music is mostly Oldies/Classic Rock in English (be
> patient for these high-quality MP3 files to download!):
>
> ftp://ftp.amstereoradio.com/airchecks/japan/1242JOLF-1.mp3
> ftp://ftp.amstereoradio.com/airchecks/japan/1242JOLF-2.mp3
> ftp://ftp.amstereoradio.com/airchecks/japan/1242JOLF-3.mp3
> ftp://ftp.amstereoradio.com/airchecks/japan/1242JOLF-4.mp3
> ftp://ftp.amstereoradio.com/airchecks/japan/1242JOLF-5.mp3
> ftp://ftp.amstereoradio.com/airchecks/japan/1242JOLF-6.mp3
>
> Closer to home, here's a very good taste of 1450 WCTC in
> hi-fi AM Stereo:
>
> ftp://ftp.amstereoradio.com/uploads/wctc8-04.mp3
>
> And how good can some of those skywave DX signals sound in
> AM Stereo? Here's Detroit's 760 WJR, as received in AM
> Stereo on a Delco car radio right here in central NJ -- even
> with NYC's 770 WABC right on their side, the music comes
> through crisp and clear and in full stereo!
>
> ftp://ftp.amstereoradio.com/uploads/wjrflash.mp3
>
 
Re: AM Stereo: But...WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

I think at this point its a labor of love. Listeners that have AMS equipt tuners in there cars or homes because they happen to have older units, rare totally unaware of the fact that they own this stuff.
Besides, its not like a lot of stations broadcast it, at least not in huge number, like I coudln't go to Phily and pick WPHT one of the major stations that everyone gets and listen to AM Stereo music. Not even on Friday and stuff. They used to be AM Stereo.
The FCC never kept records so looking at any popular radio site such as radio-locator, one would never know who broadcasts in stereo. Most stations that do do not advertise it on there website, at least the ones I have checked out I don't see any ssort of indacation of advertisement that they are indeed broadcasting a stereo s signal let alone where one can purchase equipment or see if there current e equipment can receive the said station.


I'm not too sure about WBCB either, I live about 20-minutes or so from Levettown, and last time I checked about a year ago, WBCB was not in AM stereo. I'll be makeing a trip home in mid-to-late September or so, I should double check that. Has this changed.
John
<P ID="signature">______________
John
E-mail: [email protected]
AIM: RainAngelsRule
MSN: [email protected]</P>
 
Re: AM Stereo: But...WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

> KYW in Philadelphia used to broadcast in AM stereo, right?

Until 1998 or so, yes.

> Why did they stop?

At the time, they claimed they were "getting ready for IBOC digital AM" (now known as "HD Radio"). However, ever since IBOC was finally approved by the FCC in 2002, KYW has not begun transmitting it, nor do they have any plans to do so anytime soon.

The second best excuse KYW gave me was that eliminating the phrase "...In AM Stereo" from the end of their hourly ID announcement gave them an extra three seconds of news time.

> There must be a downside to it?

Yes, but there are downsides to everything. There are many downsides to transmitting FM Stereo -- including some very serious ones -- but yet it's almost universal. Why? Because there is consumer demand for it. Unfortunately, the same kind of consumer demand for AM Stereo never really materialized here in North America. And even worse, the radio industry is currently caught up in its own hype about HD Radio. What they are trying to ignore or make excuses for is the fact that consumer demand for HD Radio is just about zero. Therefore unless things drastically change, I predict HD Radio will be a failure. It will become the Edsel or New Coke of radio. And if radio stations put all their eggs in one basket by relying on HD Radio to be their savior against competition from satellite radio, iPods, and Internet broadcasting, then radio itself will become the next New Coke!

> Why are folks even still doing it?

Because with a properly-designed AM Stereo receiver, it gives you the highest-fidelity sound available from today's AM radio. It's more than just the same muffled telephone-quality AM sound in stereo. Most AM Stereo receivers are built to capture a wider bandwidth of the signals which AM stations transmit, and this wider bandwidth gives you better treble response, for sound that is much more crisp, clear, and "hi-fi". Combined with a true stereo effect, it provides an overall sound which many listeners consider to be subjectively comparable to, if not even better than, that of FM Stereo.

> How many people are actually equipped to receive it?

Within the listening range of any AM Stereo signal in this area, there are thousands, if not even tens of thousands. AM Stereo-equipped radios have been in production since 1983 and are still in production today. Many of today's domestic cars and trucks, especially from Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Chrysler, and Cadillac, still come factory equipped with AM Stereo-capable radios. And when you consider all of the people driving around in these vehicles listening to the radio, that's really quite a lot.

> (And to be blunt--but not rude, so
> don't take it the wrong way: How many AM listeners even care?)

Going by the member count of <a target="_blank" href=http://groups.yahoo.com/group/amstereoforum>The AM Stereo Forum</a>, then at least 305 people care.
<P ID="signature">______________
noiboc.jpg
</P>
 
>

Bring back C-Quam and get rid of IBOC C-Quam made no noise and was real good. I had a car radio and it worked well.


> Who is still broadcasting in C-QUAM around the Philly
> area?
> > A music format that I actually know would be nice... Such
> as
> > oldies, radio disney, classic hits, etc? I know beggers
> > can't be choosers, but I thought I'd ask.
> > When I go home I would like to able to actually receive a
> > stereo signal on my SRF-A100. I do not get WREF out of CT
> > from here in NYC. Mono AM sstations sound super crisp so I
>
> > can not picture how good stereo would sound!
>
> Since this is the NJ board, I'll list AM Stereo signals
> which listeners anywhere in NJ might have a chance of
> receiving:
>
> 600 WICC Bridgeport, CT (Talk/some music on weekends)
> 800 WLAD Danburt, CT (Full Service talk/music)
> 850 WREF Ridgefield, CT (Oldies - daytime only)
> 940 WADV Lebanon, PA (Christian -- difficult to receive
> anymore due to IBOC hash from 950 WPEN)
> 1160 WYNS Lehighton, PA (Sports Talk; was AM Stereo during
> previous ownership... not sure if this is still the case
> today)
> 1290 WJBR Wilmington, DE (Sports Talk)
> 1310 WEMG Camden, NJ (Spanish music)
> 1450 WCTC New Brunswick, NJ (Talk)
> 1490 WBCB Levittown, PA (Full Service)
> 1580 (no call) Warren Township, NJ (occasional low-power AM
> Stereo broadcasts by yours truly!)
> 1600 WKEN Dover, DE (Gospel)
> 1660 WWRU Jersey City, NJ (Ethnic)
> 1680 WTTM Princeton, NJ (Indian music)
>
> Also a few more AM Stereo signals which can be received at
> night by skywave DX, some more consistently than others:
>
> 630 CFCO Chatham, Ontario, Canada (Oldies)
> 760 WJR Detroit, MI (Talk/some music on weekends)
> 790 CIGM Sudbury, Ontario, Canada (Country)
> 890 WLS Chicago, IL (Talk)
> 900 CHML Hamilton, Ontario, Canada (Full Service talk/music)
>
> 1030 WBZ Boston, MA (Talk; occasionally they use their
> backup transmitter which is AM Stereo-equipped; normal
> programming is IBOC daytime/mono AM nighttime)
> 1520 WWKB Buffalo, NY (Oldies)
> 1580 WPGC Morningside, MD (Gospel "Heaven 1580")
> 1620 WDHP Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands (Full
> Service)
> 1630 KCJJ Iowa City, IA (Hot AC)
> 1670 WMWR Dry Branch, GA (Talk)
> 1680 WDSS Ada, MI (Radio Disney)
> 1690 WPTX Lexington Park, MD (Sports)
> 1700 WEUV Huntsville, AL (Gospel)
>
> If you'd like to get a taste of what AM Stereo can sound
> like at its very best, try these MP3 audio clips of 1242
> JOLF, broadcasting 100,000 watts (non-directional!) of AM
> Stereo in Tokyo, Japan... the DJ chatter is in Japanese, but
> the music is mostly Oldies/Classic Rock in English (be
> patient for these high-quality MP3 files to download!):
>
> ftp://ftp.amstereoradio.com/airchecks/japan/1242JOLF-1.mp3
> ftp://ftp.amstereoradio.com/airchecks/japan/1242JOLF-2.mp3
> ftp://ftp.amstereoradio.com/airchecks/japan/1242JOLF-3.mp3
> ftp://ftp.amstereoradio.com/airchecks/japan/1242JOLF-4.mp3
> ftp://ftp.amstereoradio.com/airchecks/japan/1242JOLF-5.mp3
> ftp://ftp.amstereoradio.com/airchecks/japan/1242JOLF-6.mp3
>
> Closer to home, here's a very good taste of 1450 WCTC in
> hi-fi AM Stereo:
>
> ftp://ftp.amstereoradio.com/uploads/wctc8-04.mp3
>
> And how good can some of those skywave DX signals sound in
> AM Stereo? Here's Detroit's 760 WJR, as received in AM
> Stereo on a Delco car radio right here in central NJ -- even
> with NYC's 770 WABC right on their side, the music comes
> through crisp and clear and in full stereo!
>
> ftp://ftp.amstereoradio.com/uploads/wjrflash.mp3
>
 
Re: AM Stereo in Philly (NJ Area)

In '98 I was working in the KYW building. At the time, the stereo OPTIMOD needed repair and when they got it back they decided to continue broadcasting with the back-up unit (in mono).

Also, no one has mentioned that 1210 WPHT broadcast in C-Quam during the Sinatra programs, Fri-Sun.
 
> Bring back C-Quam and get rid of IBOC C-Quam made no noise
> and was real good. I had a car radio and it worked well.

Tell that to your bosses, Tony, not me. Last I heard, both 1250 WMTR and 1170 WWTR could be broadcasting in full AM Stereo at the flick of a switch.
<P ID="signature">______________
noiboc.jpg
</P>
 
Re: AM Stereo in Philly (NJ Area)

> Also, no one has mentioned that 1210 WPHT broadcast in
> C-Quam during the Sinatra programs, Fri-Sun.

For several years, WPHT broadcasting in AM Stereo 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Even their talk programming was aired in stereo, unlike 96.5 WWDB's old habit of staying in mono except for the Sinatra music on weekends. But for some reason WPHT shut off their AM Stereo about a year ago and it's been off ever since, even during Sid Mark's music programs.

Here's an example of WPHT's talk programming received in AM Stereo, back in June 2003:

ftp://ftp.amstereoradio.com/airchecks/usa/pa/wpht-2.mp3

I caught these recordings at a time when WPHT was using their backup CRL audio processing instead of their main Optimod 9100, so the sound is more "relaxed" (less compression) than what you would normally hear. It's quite similar to how AM Stereo stations sounded back in the '80s when CRL processors were almost as popular as Optimods.
<P ID="signature">______________
noiboc.jpg
</P>
 
> > Bring back C-Quam and get rid of IBOC C-Quam made no> noise> > and was real good. I had a car radio and it worked well.> > Tell that to your bosses, Tony, not me. Last I heard, both> 1250 WMTR and 1170 WWTR could be broadcasting in full AM> Stereo at the flick of a switch.> I would bet that both Tony, and Mike, CE of WMTR would do it...I'm all for it!.....but who has AM stereo's in their cars now?..or at home???Totally totally SUCKS...as I am all in favor of AM stereo over IBOC. It is such a problem, because AM stereo was such a great invention and IBOC is not......Long story and WESTLIFE could go over it for us as he knows it well, but I don't think MTR will do it because they know that most new cars don't have it (my 2004 GM doesn't have it..how sad!)<P ID="signature">______________
[email protected], [email protected],[email protected]</P>
 
New Jersey Radio Museum NEEDS tapes of AM stereo!

> > Bring back C-Quam and get rid of IBOC C-Quam made no> noise> > and was real good. I had a car radio and it worked well.> > Tell that to your bosses, Tony, not me. Last I heard, both> 1250 WMTR and 1170 WWTR could be broadcasting in full AM> Stereo at the flick of a switch.> If you can spare some tapes, send them to me, Carl Van Orden, General Manager, NJRM in care of 35 Cherry Hill Road, Honesdale, PA 18431. CD's are good too. WE will feature them in the museum, and will give you credit for the donation!Carl Van Orden, GM, NJRM<please become a member of NJRM with a $25.00 donation to NJRM for a 2 year membership.><P ID="signature">______________
[email protected], [email protected],[email protected]</P>
 
Re: WTTM

Don't know if Tony Simon frequents this board but I have recorded some cd's of WTTM broadcasting in AM Stereo from a Sony SRF-42 walkman a while back. Maybe he'll be willing to shair. He has some other AM Stereo stuff too though not sure how much from Jersey.
John
<P ID="signature">______________
John
E-mail: [email protected]
AIM: RainAngelsRule
MSN: [email protected]</P>
 
Well I say bring it back for those that do have it, and those that don't well they miss out. Anyone that owns a cryslor car radio has it, I happen to own too sony's both the SRF-A100 and SRF-42 walkman. We have e Cryslor Town and Country 2001 limited that I know for a fact has AM Stereo.
<P ID="signature">______________
John
E-mail: [email protected]
AIM: RainAngelsRule
MSN: [email protected]</P>
 
> Well I say bring it back for those that do have it, and
> those that don't well they miss out. Anyone that owns a
> cryslor car radio has it, I happen to own too sony's both
> the SRF-A100 and SRF-42 walkman. We have e Cryslor Town and
> Country 2001 limited that I know for a fact has AM Stereo.

AM Stereo is still very common in new 2005 Ford/Lincoln/Mercury vehicles with premium audio systems. It can also be found in some Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep and Cadillac models.
<P ID="signature">______________
noiboc.jpg
</P>
 
> Tell that to your bosses, Tony, not me. Last I heard, both
> 1250 WMTR and 1170 WWTR could be broadcasting in full AM
> Stereo at the flick of a switch.
>

No longer true.
 
>>Such as ...radio disney<<

I don't think any Radio Disney stations broadcast in stereo. I assume this because the Radio Disney channel feed on XM satellite radio is in mono. Unless XM is the only one getting a mono feed, I don't know.
 
Re: WTTM

Hello John
I have been WTTM's CE/CO For the Past few Years
and I take pride in the fact that yes we are still in Full AM Stereo

Neal
P.S. As far as I know WTTM and WCTC are the only 2 full AM stereo Stations
in New Jersey and Even with that Im Not sure if WCTC is still ON. I would have to talk with Keith but I believe it is....

> Don't know if Tony Simon frequents this board but I have
> recorded some cd's of WTTM broadcasting in AM Stereo from a
> Sony SRF-42 walkman a while back. Maybe he'll be willing to
> shair. He has some other AM Stereo stuff too though not
> sure how much from Jersey.
> John
>
 
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