Anybody know when/if WXKS (AM), WRCA,and/or WUNR plan to switch on AM IBOC?

[Wbzfm2010]

that happened at my work too i used to be able to get weei fm 103.7 then they came and put more outside lights outside our window which is where the radio is located forget it once they go on i hear robotic sounds and cant understand them and am wont work unless you have the radio onthe other side of the store which doesnt help much with the register is near this window!!

 

[RadioFixerCLE]

I could be wrong, but the only one that sounds to me like it has the extremely abrupt high-frequency roll-off of their analog audio required for AM IBOC in effect is WXKS. The other two, WRCA and WUNR, sound to me like they're running full standard allowed AM audio bandwidth, which can not work with IBOC. If I'm correct, WRCA and WUNR would have to curtail their high-end analog frequency response in order to add IBOC.

WXKS is also the only one of the three that I've seen erroneously, or perhaps prematurely, already listed as having IBOC on HD Radio and other websites, though it's definitely not currently in HD yet.

Some years back, Clear Channel had announced a policy of limiting their AM stations' bandwith to +/- 5kHz even if they didn't have HD. In fact, they were proposing that the NRSC make this a rule. Supposedly it would cut down on interference.

I don't think that ever became a reality with the NRSC. Fellow engineers at the four AM stations I've been involved with so far never mentioned we had to implement it. Three of the four are "regular" AM stations and one runs AM-HD. That station turns off the IBOC during ball games, so you can definitely hear the audio go back out to wide-band when HD is turned off.

 

[aaronread]

Some years back, Clear Channel had announced a policy of limiting their AM stations' bandwith to +/- 5kHz even if they didn't have HD. In fact, they were proposing that the NRSC make this a rule. Supposedly it would cut down on interference.

Yes and no - reducing the bandwidth was for two reasons:

1. Narrowed bandwidth reduces the PERCEIVED interference because the radio's filtering narrows on the received content and has an easier time rejecting adjacent interference.

2. A lot of radios...like, the vast majority of them...will not pass audio wider than 5 or 6kHz anyways; their filters were already narrowed for same reason in #1 above. So it made sense to adjust your programming to sound the best it could under the circumstances that the majority of listeners were experiencing it under.

I don't think that ever became a reality with the NRSC. Fellow engineers at the four AM stations I've been involved with so far never mentioned we had to implement it. Three of the four are "regular" AM stations and one runs AM-HD. That station turns off the IBOC during ball games, so you can definitely hear the audio go back out to wide-band when HD is turned off.

AFAIK it was never made a requirement by the NRSC either, although you DO have to narrow the bandwidth to 5kHz if you run AM IBOC (for technical reasons). FWIW, several stations that run IBOC will shut off the IBOC during sports games to eliminate the inherent ~8 second coding delay and thus bring the play-by-play in time with the action on the field. Presumably this is for fans that bring a radio to the game with them. It's even called "Ballgame Mode" in iBiquity parlance.

 

[BRNout]

More and more these days, FM's are using their HD-2's and HD-3's to simulcast co-owned AM's and other FM's, just to improve (unlistened-to via IBOC) coverage areas.

I dont think there are ANY stations using their HD2 for a simulcast (are there?)

They are using the HD3...which is a good idea....as it improves coverage and fidelity of the AM signal...which might be lacking.

Well, you may be right if referring only to Boston; however, that is quite incorrect nationally. Many, many AM stations are carried on HD2 channels. Just to list a couple from Chicago: Citadel's WLS-FM 94.7 HD2 is WLS 890; CBS' WJMK 104.3 HD-2 is WSCR 670; CBS' WCFS 105.9 HD-2 is WBBM 780. In LA, KTWV 94.7 HD-2 is a simulcast of KNX 1070. In the Salt Lake market, Clear Channel did the same thing with talker KNRS until it's n/t format was flipped from 570 AM to 105.7 FM. Those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head, but there are tons more.

It's a pretty common thing now to simulcast the AMs. And it makes sense, though not for the reason you cited. The majority of HD radios in people's hands are FM only and this is a way to provide the "HD" feed of those AMs to those listeners. Given this, there's really no reason at all for ANY of them to be running IBOC on the AM band but, much like an old mule, CBS Radio refuses to learn.

The coverage area reasoning might apply to certain directional or flea powered AMs, but you wouldn't want to waste an HD2 on an AM signal that nobody listens to. So most seem to be simulcasts of big AM stations that have decent AM signal footprints.

 

[DanStrassberg]

Re: Anybody know when/if WXKS (AM), WRCA, and/or WUNR plan to switch on AM IBOC?

Aside from WXKS (AM) 1200 and WKOX 1430, which AMs within, say, 100 miles of Boston does CCU own? The ones I can think of off-hand are WTAG, WHJJ, WHYN. WGIR, 930 in Rochester NH (can't remember the calls), and maybe 1540 in Exeter NH, although that may have been sold. Almost certainly, there are more AMs in ME and maybe some in CT that I don't even have a clue about.

Of the stations I've listed, 1200 has never run AM HD. 1430 was running it until a few weeks ago but now seems to have stopped. I don't think that either WHYN or WGIR ever ran it because their directional arrays, which use electrically short towers, are incompatible with the broad-banding required for AM HD. I believe that both WTAG and WHJJ did run AM HD and I have no information about their having stopped.

So can anyone supply info on any other CCU-owned AMs within roughly 100 miles of Boston that either never ran AM HD or appear to have discontinued it? I'm trying to figure out if there is any reason to believe that CCU, which was one of the most vocal proponents of HD, might be quietly throwing in the towel on the AM-band version, whose only remaining vocal proponent that I can think of is Tom Ray at Buckley's WOR in New York.

 

[raccoonradio]

1540, WXEX (IIRC) in Exeter is now owned by another company and does 60s-70s pop & Motown (their site has pictures of Elton John, Simon and Garfunkel, Bee Gees, Supremes etc); the 930 in
Roch NH is WGIN. (WXEX's previous calls when they were simulcasting 930 and 610 were WGIP)

 

[N1WVQ]

Sadly, 920/WHJJ still has the hiss on.

 

[Don Juan]

It's a pretty common thing now to simulcast the AMs. And it makes sense, though not for the reason you cited. The majority of HD radios in people's hands are FM only and this is a way to provide the "HD" feed of those AMs to those listeners.

Good point, some of the radios do not include FM...but I don't think it's the main reason. I think there's other issues in the mix.

(My Boston Acoustics and Directed HD radios are both AM & FM....although the Insignia only has FM.)

 

[DanStrassberg]

I can't tell for sure, but I think WKOX 1430 is now running IBOC again. Somebody who has an HD Radio and who lives close enough to the Medford-Everett line ought to be able to verify this. Eli??

 

[Eli Polonsky]

I can't tell for sure, but I think WKOX 1430 is now running IBOC again. Somebody who has an HD Radio and who lives close enough to the Medford-Everett line ought to be able to verify this. Eli??

Yes, it's back on.