AM vs FM baseball

[jhguthlac]

Had the chance this afternoon to compare the Phillies game on WIP-FM and WDEL.

There was more of a deepest the FM audio. But frankly, I liked the AM better. Has anyone else compared the two?

 

[RadioPhillyFan]

Had the chance this afternoon to compare the Phillies game on WIP-FM and WDEL.

There was more of a deepest the FM audio. But frankly, I liked the AM better. Has anyone else compared the two?

I liked it on WDEL better too.

 

[phils07]

How does WDEL sound during baseball?
I can not get WDEL from my area.

 

[Irishfl]

I think to be fair, you should withhold judgement until they have games with 40,000+ crowds. The ST games with small 5,000 or so crowds doesn't provide the same background noise, and sounds too silent.

 

[jhguthlac]

Irish, You have a very valid point. The stereo effect with a packed house does give it a fuller sound.

But the audio itself sounded dull on FM. Much livlier and the crowd noise was more evident on the AM.

WDEL takes much pride in their audio. The engineers still know how to make AM sound as good as possible.

The Eagles on WIP-FM do sound better than on WDEL.

 

[pab]

Also give them time to get the processing, mike placement, etc. perfect. It's trial and error at first.

 

[aindik]

I would never turn the sound down on a TV and turn up an AM radio. I would do that with an internet stream or an FM station.

I won't do it with Phillies games on CSN or PHL17 because I like McCarthy et al. But it will be nice for the games that are on Fox, and for the playoffs.

I think they need some time to re-engineer the broadcast. The Eagles have been on FM for decades and their games sound amazing. The Phillies need to make their broadcasts sound like Eagles games have sounded.

 

[phils07]

Listening to the game on 94.1 right now. Sounds really good. The game feed is in stereo, sounds like Eagles games.

 

[rdcuffpa1]

How does WDEL sound during baseball?
I can not get WDEL from my area.

As for AM Phillies audible in the region, presuming last year's stations continue:

I would think that much of the Philly area can hear WEEU / 830 / Reading, and AFAIK they'll have the games again this year.

WSAN / 1470 / Allentown (Fox Sports Radio) also carries all games; the exhibition pair against the Pirates was on the other evenings. I believe WNPV / 1440 / Lansdale has some...at least they always have...

I wonder how much longer WEEU, WSAN, and WNPV will be needed as affiliates, as WIP-FM's signal is OK (not perfect, though) in both Reading and Allentown.

Richard in Allentown

 

[jhguthlac]

WEEU has a great signal. Loud and clear even in Delaware.

 

[MarcB]

This year here in Hartford the Yankees moved from WPOP AM 1410 to the new WUCS FM 97.9 and the games sound much better on 97.9 than Yankees flagship station WCBS AM 880.

 

[Pilgrimway]

Baseball belongs on AM radio. It seems unamerican to listen to a game on FM!

 

[N1WVQ]

Baseball belongs on AM radio. It seems unamerican to listen to a game on FM!

Agreed 1,000%!

 

[imhomerjay]

Baseball belongs on AM radio. It seems unamerican to listen to a game on FM!

About as much as driving a car is un-American compared to riding in a horse-and-buggy.

 

[KeithE4]

Baseball belongs on AM radio. It seems unamerican to listen to a game on FM!

Baloney. Since when is listening to an American FM station "Unamerican?" :

When the Diamondbacks are on KTAR-FM instead of AM 620, they sound much better. Football, even more-so. There is a reason why the NFL started encouraging FM flagships beginning in the '90s: That's where the audience and their money is.

 

[rdcuffpa1]

Baloney. Since when is listening to an American FM station "Unamerican?" :

When the Diamondbacks are on KTAR-FM instead of AM 620, they sound much better. Football, even more-so. There is a reason why the NFL started encouraging FM flagships beginning in the '90s: That's where the audience and their money is.

Some folks are hopelessly romantic when it comes to radio...they even listen to (egad) shortwave because it embeds a sense of distance and exoticness into the sound; never mind that Internet-tuned radio sounds consistent and in many instances sounds way better than shortwave.

For better or worse, romantics tend not to pay the bills...so while we can long for the days of the Detroit Tigers on WJR / 760 with the six-transistor radio hidden underneath the pillow at night...it don't mean a hill o' beans for the economics of radio. Instead, we can get the MLB At Bat app and listen to whatever, wherever, whenever...

Richard in Allentown

 

[KeithE4]

Some folks are hopelessly romantic when it comes to radio...they even listen to (egad) shortwave because it embeds a sense of distance and exoticness into the sound; never mind that Internet-tuned radio sounds consistent and in many instances sounds way better than shortwave.

They need to get over it. I've been an SWL for almost 50 years and a ham for 42. I enjoyed listening to shortwave broadcasting in my younger days, but that era is over and it probably won't ever come back. Shortwave broadcasting is even deader than AM - Canada is the latest to go. Fortunately hams aren't going anywhere, but few other services want or need frequencies below 54 MHz anymore.

The ionosphere is a liability in 2012, not an asset like in the Good Old DaysTM, when there was no other choice when it came to long-distant communications by radio. Hams can deal with it, but commercial services need 24/7/365 availability, not an educated guess as to which frequency band is the best at a given time and trying to make it work.

For better or worse, romantics tend not to pay the bills...so while we can long for the days of the Detroit Tigers on WJR / 760 with the six-transistor radio hidden underneath the pillow at night...it don't mean a hill o' beans for the economics of radio.

I grew up listening to baseball on Ancient Modulation as well. I don't miss it. Now that I've had MLB Gameday Audio since it was first offered, and MLB.TV since 2010, I don't even try to get a game on radio in the car anymore, other than the local Diamondbacks. Only a few games (Padres, Giants, & Dodgers) are audible in Phoenix, and all their stations are weak to medium strength, depending on the day and whether there's a Mexican station overriding it.

Instead, we can get the MLB At Bat app and listen to whatever, wherever, whenever...

If they want that "exotic" sound, the digitizing artifacts in the MLB At Bat app are so bad, it gives the sound a "shortwave-style" quality. Not to mention the varying volume on some broadcasts **cough**White Sox**cough** ;D

 

[Rkworld]

WEZW (93.1 in Cape May) simulcasts the Phillies. Considering that it's a simulcast, it's not the best, but gets the job done. The games sound better here on AM (1340 & 1230).

 

[radioguy39nj]

Baseball belongs on AM radio. It seems unamerican to listen to a game on FM!

Baloney. Since when is listening to an American FM station "Unamerican?" :

When the Diamondbacks are on KTAR-FM instead of AM 620, they sound much better. Football, even more-so. There is a reason why the NFL started encouraging FM flagships beginning in the '90s: That's where the audience and their money is.

Very true, but sports on FM isn't coming to market #1 anytime soon. 92.3 NOW-FM was rumored to be flipping to a WFAN simulcast but that isn't happening. Rick Gillette from CBS Phoenix was transferred to NY to become the new PD at NOW. ESPN wants an FM for its directional 1050 AM, but the only one available is WFME 94.7, which isn't full-market and can't be relocated to Manhattan.

WFAN, the Mets flag does broadcast on 92.3 HD-3. WCBS Newsradio 880, the Yankees flag, broadcasts on 101.1 HD-3, so you have to own an HD Radio to hear baseball on FM in NYC. When I visited the NY Auto Show last weekend, I sat in a 2013 Hyundai Azera which was equipped with HD Radio and listened to a bit of the Mets game on 92.3 HD-3. It sounded good!

The NFL has been encouraging FM flagships since the 90s, but once again, not in NY. AFAIK, the Denver Broncos are the only NFL team outside of New York that doesn't have an FM flag or co-flag. There are posters on the New York board who believe the New York market will never give in to news and/or sports on FM. They need to get over it!

 

[reelyreal]

Baseball belongs on AM radio. It seems unamerican to listen to a game on FM!

Baloney. Since when is listening to an American FM station "Unamerican?" :

When the Diamondbacks are on KTAR-FM instead of AM 620, they sound much better. Football, even more-so. There is a reason why the NFL started encouraging FM flagships beginning in the '90s: That's where the audience and their money is.

Very true, but sports on FM isn't coming to market #1 anytime soon. 92.3 NOW-FM was rumored to be flipping to a WFAN simulcast but that isn't happening. Rick Gillette from CBS Phoenix was transferred to NY to become the new PD at NOW. ESPN wants an FM for its directional 1050 AM, but the only one available is WFME 94.7, which isn't full-market and can't be relocated to Manhattan.

WFAN, the Mets flag does broadcast on 92.3 HD-3. WCBS Newsradio 880, the Yankees flag, broadcasts on 101.1 HD-3, so you have to own an HD Radio to hear baseball on FM in NYC. When I visited the NY Auto Show last weekend, I sat in a 2013 Hyundai Azera which was equipped with HD Radio and listened to a bit of the Mets game on 92.3 HD-3. It sounded good!

The NFL has been encouraging FM flagships since the 90s, but once again, not in NY. AFAIK, the Denver Broncos are the only NFL team outside of New York that doesn't have an FM flag or co-flag. There are posters on the New York board who believe the New York market will never give in to news and/or sports on FM. They need to get over it!

Not to get off the Philly point too far, but the reasoning for no FM sports in NYC right now is that there's no financial gain to be had. A city can support two successful sports stations, it's been proven. Three? I doubt it. You've got two in New York, both on AM. Neither company has an available full-market FM. With no chance for a third party sports station to be successful (Ask Merlin Media what it's like to be the third news station, they're having a blast...) there's no reason to cannibalize an FM signal. They're doing just fine.