Ch 5 and 6 TV to FM

[kenglish]

I just wonder if adding another 12 MHz to the analog FM Radio band is going to create a whole new generation of analog FM Radio listeners.

Especially if it's only going to be populated with duplicates of AM Talkers, AM Sports Fan stations, and an unlimited number of religious (translator) broadcasters.
As for "Community" broadcasters, I've only met a few. And, they have had a tough time making it on the legacy FM band...without the yoke (around the neck) of having to develop a new band.

 

[TheBigA]

I just wonder if adding another 12 MHz to the analog FM Radio band is going to create a whole new generation of analog FM Radio listeners.

That's a great question...been thinking the same thing myself. The focus is on expanding an existing band and perhaps creating a level playing field for minorities and LPFM, as if that will get them more audience. The fact is there is no level playing field when it comes to platform. We can all name 50kw FMs with great signals and great technical plant that get 2 shares because radio is niching itself to death. I'm of the opinion that adding more stations to the same platform just makes more slices to the same pie, making it more difficult for anyone to have a meal. But the agenda for the FCC during the last 25 years has been to add more stations regardless of how that dilutes the audience and funding base. And perhaps where this is going is to a point where American broadcasting is less about private enterprise and more about public and government support.

 

[OKCRadioGuy]

If 2-6 was used on a secondary basis to exisitng tv, then there would be enough room for any am and some left over of the non-comm lpfm types (in markets without a 5 or 6). Yeah. The biggest problem is that it would make too much sense. I mean, what the hell else is 2-6 good for really?

 

[kenglish]

I went home last night and tuned through the FM band, much like an average twenty-something might do....I started scanning at 88.1 and surfed a while.

First was a mono feed of NPR...not bad, but it WAS "talk".
Then, a couple of mono FM religious stations..."funeral music" is the way I would describe it.
Then, "K-Love"....not bad, but not exactly "Top 40".
Then, a couple of channels with old guys droning on about the end of the world, and how it's all "prophecy".
Then, a classical station, and a couple of HD channels of LDS talks.
Then, ...............................

Well, you get the drift. Maybe younger would listen to broadcast FM if we put the "boring" stations at the top end of the band ;D .

 

[kenglish]

I just re-read the story, and another question comes to mind...

Who will pay for these new stations?

Will there be federal subsidies to pay AM's to move to FM, or to simulcast? Who will pay for equipment and full-time staff for the "community" stations? Will manufacturers receive subsidies to build the new radios? Will Big Box stores carry the radios, or will someone else have to market them (after all, with no commissions on monthly subscription fees, will they aggressively market them?)?

And, where will these stations put their transmitters? Will they be on existing sites, or will they be scattered across city and suburban rooftops...schools, churches, community centers? And, will they add to the front-end overload problems of nearby DTV and radio receivers? And, will they just render two more channels (5 and 6) of Cable TV systems unusable, due to ingress?

 

[ChiefEngineer]

In every case here where an AM station ads a translator their programming is music. No talk, and in many cases mcurrent music.

Our first Indiana translator was for WSVX AM 1520. They don't mention AM anymore.

 

[TheBigA]

I just re-read the story, and another question comes to mind...

Who will pay for these new stations?

Will there be federal subsidies to pay AM's to move to FM, or to simulcast?

When the gov't mandated TV move from VHF & UHF to their current location, there were no federal subsidies. A typical station puts it in their capital equipment budget somehow. The Corporation For Public Broadcasting had some money set aside for PBS stations to convert to digital, but that's about it. No FCC money, that's for sure.

When someone applies to the FCC for an LPFM license, one of the questions they ask has to do with their ability to raise money, pay a staff, and buy equipment. That is the licensee's problem. They get the use of the public airwaves, and they can use them to pay operating costs.

As for manufacturers and retailers, that's another problem. When HDTV was mandated, the only federal subsidies were for converter boxes. The government didn't buy anyone HDTVs. Will stores aggressively market new radios? Use HD radio as an example. I'd say it's a huge uphill climb, even if it gets government approval.

 

[nmoore6676]

I just re-read the story, and another question comes to mind...

Who will pay for these new stations?

Will there be federal subsidies to pay AM's to move to FM, or to simulcast?

When the gov't mandated TV move from VHF & UHF to their current location, there were no federal subsidies. A typical station puts it in their capital equipment budget somehow. The Corporation For Public Broadcasting had some money set aside for PBS stations to convert to digital, but that's about it. No FCC money, that's for sure.

When someone applies to the FCC for an LPFM license, one of the questions they ask has to do with their ability to raise money, pay a staff, and buy equipment. That is the licensee's problem. They get the use of the public airwaves, and they can use them to pay operating costs.

As for manufacturers and retailers, that's another problem. When HDTV was mandated, the only federal subsidies were for converter boxes. The government didn't buy anyone HDTVs. Will stores aggressively market new radios? Use HD radio as an example. I'd say it's a huge uphill climb, even if it gets government approval.

I am older than dirt and in the old old days when they were just beginning UHF TV and you had an older set (we did) you had to buy a little set top box to get them. Later some TVs had a space for a built in tuner and later than that they mandated that all new sets be made with UHF already installed. No subsidies for nobody nowhere.

When radio began shifting from AM to FM, you bought a new radio or got an adapter for your car radio. Again no subsidies. Of course Stereo FM and Color TV had to be compatible but no one offered any help buying receivers.

I think that the mandate to provide help with the digital TV mandated switchover to get converters was two fold.

One: that it was mandated and a lot of people (mostly seniors) did not see why it had to be done. And there are a lot of older people on limited income.

Two: that we now live in a society where everyone wants, even expects, a handout. There are always rumors flying about government provided free internet for all. So subsidized converters should have been no shocker.

Since the broadcasters are businesses no one sees any reason to help them and that is really the way it should be. Also they benefit from being able to present the latest and greatest in order to compete with other delivery sources. In the old days there was no competition, Cable TV was limited to areas with reception issues and satellites were little balls orbiting and just emitting pinging sounds. Many smaller and especially daytime AM stations probably don't mind spending money on a translator and even if they were forced to migrate they might not cry too much. However today's economy and with the threat of increased royalties there could be a strong reason to resist any additional expenditures.

 

[TomT]

Exchange an FM for an AM??

We used to own an AM, I assigned a Class A channel to the same town, with the idea of moving that station's programing to FM. Then Clinton put in the auction process..with an original minimum bid of $250K ( for a station assigned to a town of 2400 in a county of 8400 people).

We sold the AM. Later public broadcaster took advantage of a rule change to reserve the FM channel as non-commercial, will probably be an NPR outlet once the FCC sorts things out.

If we could have gotten the FM by just asking for it (and incurring the expense of the build-out) we would jumped at the opportunity.