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Bryan Broadcasting Asks FCC to Allow All-Digital AM

R

rbc

A prominent advocate for the AM band is petitioning the FCC to allow stations to use all-digital transmissions in the United States.

Bryan Broadcasting Corp. on Monday filed a petition for rulemaking asking the commission to initiate a proceeding to authorize the MA3 all-digital mode of HD Radio for any AM station that chooses to do so.

Permitting such modernization would “give AM broadcasters a needed innovative tool with which to compete” without harming others in the spectrum ecosystem, it wrote.
[...]
https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/business-and-law/bryan-broadcasting-asks-fcc-to-allow-all-digital-am
 
HD Radio is on life support, It’s too little too late, No one even buys radios much anymore especially AM Radio.
 
RadioKev said:
HD Radio is on life support, It’s too little too late, No one even buys radios much anymore especially AM Radio.
Click to expand...

New automobiles still seem to be including radio as part of the entertainment system. That doesn't seem to be going away.

As for the AM band, COFDM has got to be more efficient than AM (the modulation technique). Lots of power goes into that AM carrier that could be used elsewhere.
 
The previous topic, at least on my machine, is about the all digital test in Washington. The two topics are related (and I am not recommended combining). Do we have any idea how that test is going? Is there any measurable audience on the all digital signal. Impacts whether Byran really has a viable idea if all digital is approved. BTW, there was a little 1kw graveyard here that used to broadcast in hybrid, playing music (Spanish). Actually sounded pretty good to my 'aged out of the demographic' ears. May just be too little, too late.
 
What I'd really like to see is whether a station can effectively use a "single frequency network" concept on AM. It's seen limited implementation on FM and supposedly works OK. But that's just claims from the manufacturers. Would it be possible to effectively cover a market with digital AM using a number of synchronized transmitters with power levels of maybe 50 to 100 watts and loaded small-form-factor antennas? (think TIS on steroids) If it works, it would also have the advantage of concentrating the signal in the desired market and reducing skywave interference elsewhere. You'd be competing with the cellular companies for tower site rental, but there would not be the cost of that huge AM facility with the land, copper, tower, etc. It's not practical with analog AM, but with an all-digital signal it might be.

Dave B.
 
K6JHU said:
The previous topic, at least on my machine, is about the all digital test in Washington. The two topics are related (and I am not recommended combining). Do we have any idea how that test is going? Is there any measurable audience on the all digital signal. Impacts whether Byran really has a viable idea if all digital is approved.
Click to expand...

There's not much. This is what I have found:

https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/digital-radio-summit-wake-up-call

Layer reported to the group that in July 2018, WWFD 820 kHz received experimental authority to become a full-time all-digital AM station, as RW has reported.

WWFD “The Gamut” is using an FM translator to reach listeners with analog-only radios. But any of the 60 million HD Radio receivers already sold in the U.S. could receive WWFD’s all-digital AM emissions. Layer showed an impressive video where the WWFD all-digital AM feed is playing through the factory-fit receiver of an Audi Q5.
 
Scott Fybush did an episode of his podcast on WWFD earlier this month. If I owned an AM station with an FM translator or two, and had money to burn on engineering, I would be very interested in giving all-digital AM a try. Seems like it's miles ahead of hybrid digital.

Because of the format that WWFD runs, (eclectic) the ratings aren't likely to be high no matter what transmission method they were using.
 
Here's a little update I received from Dave Kolesar
[...]
We just installed a new transmitter that allows us to transmit the full MA3 mode. (We put it on the air on Wednesday.) What this means is that we are now transmitting stereo audio, and are also sending out visual metadata to compatible receivers (station logo and album artwork). Stereo and artwork will generally be receivable to the stations 0.5 mV contour, and beyond that the receiver will blend to mono. If you get a chance to hear the station or see images please let us know. Also, if you encounter any reception or receiver problems, we would like to know as well. (For example, we are finding that not every receiver that implemented images for FM have done so for AM.) It's an experiment, and the more data we can collect the better!

Thanks for listening to The Gamut!
 
RadioKev said:
HD Radio is on life support, It’s too little too late, No one even buys radios much anymore especially AM Radio.
Click to expand...

Another anecdotal statement. OEM radios with HD capabilities equal about 20% of the new cars being delivered. If the radio has HD Radio, that includes AM-HD reception capability too. Those receivers work just as well, if not better, with hybrid or full digital AM.
 
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