Another Footstep on AM's Slow Death March

[Dighton Rockhead]

Over on the Detroit board, there's a thread about Clear Channel giving up on one of its AM properties there, and making a donation of it (probably minus the real estate) to a non-profit group.

http://www.michiguide.com/archives2012/2012/12/clear-channel-to-take-wdtw-am.html

Could we possibly see something like that happen here in the forseeable future?

With even the spoken-word formats migrating over to FM, it's tough to see much of a future for AM.

It's kind of sad to think that of the AM stations in the region, there are only 5 left (of any reasonable signal range) that program primarily secular and english programming (630, 790, 920, 1320, and 1480).

 

[reelyreal]

Clear Channel has donated almost a dozen stations to the MMTC over the years. This is nothing new. It's been a way for them to get under ownership caps in the past with the added bonus of tax credits.

One could say the donations of these stations to local, minority-controlled broadcasters is breathing new life into these stations, and bringing more local programming than ever could have been provided by Clear Channel. I fail to see how this is a bad thing, or heralding the death of a station.

 

[aaronread]

I sure wouldn't mind if Clear Channel was willing to donate 920 to us at RIPR!! ;D

It's kind of sad to think that of the AM stations in the region, there are only 5 left (of any reasonable signal range) that program primarily secular and english programming (630, 790, 920, 1320, and 1480).

That's a sentence that rather blithely overlooks the substantially changing ethnic demographics of the region. Rhode Island is getting more Latino every day!

 

[Dighton Rockhead]

One could say the donations of these stations to local, minority-controlled broadcasters is breathing new life into these stations, and bringing more local programming than ever could have been provided by Clear Channel. I fail to see how this is a bad thing, or heralding the death of a station.

You're right. AM isn't going to die...as in..."not exist". But...it's another step toward what some have called the "shortwaveing" of the AM band, to the point where it really doesn't matter anymore...like shortwave is now.

Yes...I'm showing my age. I actually grew up with AM radio. In fact, up until I was 12, ALL of the radios in my home growing up were AM ONLY...and one of them actually used vacuum tubes....(I know...I'm ANCIENT! .

I suppose I'm just feeling nostalgic for a time when AM actually mattered.

 

[Speaker of Truth]

Donations of AM Signals have also happened in West Virginia and Ohio over the last few years..

AM will likely live on in larger markets for years...WBZ in Boston and KMOX in St Louis are still going strong..

But in smaller markets, it will be given over to religion and ethnic programming, until everybody finally has a tablet and internet access..then those things can migrate to the internet..

But what happens to FM? Once every car can get Pandora, or the music on your iPod, will there be a need for commercial radio at all within say 20 years?

 

[dansteely]

I think 1230 AM has a great signal! Narragansett to Old Saybrook daytime, and we are quite English.

 

[N1WVQ]

Why aren't these stations ever donated to people that do community radio?!

 

[TVCOOL]

AM Radio is slowly being extinct no smartphone has a AM Tuner app only FM.

 

[Kenny Atkinson]

AM Radio is slowly being extinct no smartphone has a AM Tuner app only FM.

There are apps though. Ie...I heart radio.1230's app sounds just as good as one else's app...but yea....AM is a dinasaur unless your in a big market