And speaking of ESPN on 98.7, a few minutes ago, I listened to "The Wolf" that Beth Christy was doing a promo for New York Yankees baseball that is going to simulcast from WCBS-AM all season long. She says that "You can hear it loud and clear in FM clarify." Just like the way it sounded like when it was heard on CBS-FM's HD3 channel at 101.1. Is that true? I also have an aircheck of the Yankees opening day against the Devil Rays back in early April when it was on "The Wolf" at 94.3 & 97.3. I'll post it later to hear what it sounded like on FM.
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ESPN 98.7?
- Thread starter bucwhyl
- Start date
ESPN 98.7 is broadcasting in stereo. I've heard that some talk stations on FM have turned off the stereo beacon. I know WEMP has done this. 
CBS runs many of their FM sports stations in stereo (I know WIP-FM does, not sure if WBZ-FM in Boston or KDKA-FM in Pittsburgh do or not)... however, is it really necessary? For a spoken word format, like news/talk or sports, I'd rather have the stereo off to reduce interference
danikayser84 said:CBS runs many of their FM sports stations in stereo (I know WIP-FM does, not sure if WBZ-FM in Boston or KDKA-FM in Pittsburgh do or not)... however, is it really necessary? For a spoken word format, like news/talk or sports, I'd rather have the stereo off to reduce interference
The vast majority of listeners are tuned to local signals and don't have a problem with interference. Why cater to listeners outside the metro or DXers? I find stereo adds appealing depth to spoken-word audio.
Right now, the Knicks are simulcasted on 98.7 and 1050, while the Rangers are on 1130. I guess it's because of previous contractual agreements but I find it peculiar that they aren't now split along the same ESPN channels. ???
danikayser84 said:CBS runs many of their FM sports stations in stereo (I know WIP-FM does, not sure if WBZ-FM in Boston or KDKA-FM in Pittsburgh do or not)... however, is it really necessary? For a spoken word format, like news/talk or sports, I'd rather have the stereo off to reduce interference
WBZ-FM runs stereo - WEEI-FM does not - to give signal a little boost south and west of Boston - both use HD
Those simulcasts are probably uncomfortable for the respective owners.
Is 98.7 in stereo with the Yankee broadcasts? How about in HD?
There were rumors the Yankees were going to move their Spring Training to Disney World. This year they were in Tampa, but I wouldn't be surprised if they move. And if Disney is going to try for the broadcast rights, they could have Radio Disney in other market and could use the Yankee exposure for the Disney Empire.
With George out of the picture, could Disney be the next Yankee owner?
Could "Replica" Yankee Stadium be the next "house the Mouse built"?
Man, there are repercussions all over.
Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!
Is 98.7 in stereo with the Yankee broadcasts? How about in HD?
There were rumors the Yankees were going to move their Spring Training to Disney World. This year they were in Tampa, but I wouldn't be surprised if they move. And if Disney is going to try for the broadcast rights, they could have Radio Disney in other market and could use the Yankee exposure for the Disney Empire.
With George out of the picture, could Disney be the next Yankee owner?
Could "Replica" Yankee Stadium be the next "house the Mouse built"?
Man, there are repercussions all over.
Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!
Don't have HD, and am curious. How far from the ESB would you consider a fringe area?
Do you think HD channels are good for 75% of the normal analog FM distance, or less?
What is most likely to cause dropouts in normal driving in town, or on the highways?
My experience in Florida is that the "60dbu, 1mv/m, Primary Grade" curves on R-L are not strong enough, so let us say a "70dbu, 3.16mv/m, City Grade" should be solid.
That would be about the same distance in from the red curves as the reds are in from the violets.
Just a guess, but at least four of the Burroughs plus coastal NJ for the B's and a little less for the B1's.
Sadly I have no idea what percentage of main power (1%-10%) the HD is on the stations I have heard.
That would be about the same distance in from the red curves as the reds are in from the violets.
Just a guess, but at least four of the Burroughs plus coastal NJ for the B's and a little less for the B1's.
Sadly
I have no idea what percentage of main power (1%-10%) the HD is on the stations I have heard.I would say, judging by my knowledge with New Jersey, and what I know from my own experiences with HD in the car, here in Sa-ra-so-ta!, I will guess and say that the majority of Empire HD will be take the GSP South to about Eatontown/x105. After that, they will start to unlock.ai4i said:My experience in Florida is that the "60dbu, 1mv/m, Primary Grade" curves on R-L are not strong enough, so let us say a "70dbu, 3.16mv/m, City Grade" should be solid.
That would be about the same distance in from the red curves as the reds are in from the violets.
Just a guess, but at least four of the Burroughs plus coastal NJ for the B's and a little less for the B1's.
Sadly
Assuming they can use the 10%, you would be talking a blazing 600,000mw of raw HD power blowing out of the "COTU". (center of the universe)
Once you hit Belmar/x98, you will be 75% analogue continuing South on GSP. 34 South through Wall, and Point Pleasant wil be hit or miss. Anologue on 35 South To Seaside. Then no HD except for WRAT.
How close am I?
Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!
Here is an example of this aircheck, but this one is from the Yankees broadcast as heard on 94.3/97.3 "The Wolf" back in 2009. Just to let you know that "The Wolf" at 94.3 and 97.3 is also carrying the Yankees when it is simulcast on WCBS-AM and it sounded a lot different on FM just like the way did on CBS-FM's HD3 channel. But on the other hand, the station is still playing country music which you don't get on any NYC station due to pirates on 106.3 in Brooklyn. WKMK is an example for running the format as "Thunder Country".
To get back to the Yankees aircheck though, here is an example on what the Yankees game was simulcast from WCBS-AM when it was heard on FM, and this was from a country station in the HV area called "The Wolf", and this what it suppose to sound before it goes to ESPN Radio at 98.7.
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?n92r4drx3qy
To get back to the Yankees aircheck though, here is an example on what the Yankees game was simulcast from WCBS-AM when it was heard on FM, and this was from a country station in the HV area called "The Wolf", and this what it suppose to sound before it goes to ESPN Radio at 98.7.
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?n92r4drx3qy
And as an extra bonus, let's take you back to October 2009, and the Yankees are in the World Series where the team had just won. This one was from 94.3/97.3 "The Wolf" in the Hudson Valley listening area where they carried the Yankees while it's still a country music station. Instead of simulcasting from WCBS-AM with John Sterling & Suzyn Waldman, you'll get this, an ESPN Radio coverage of the World Series, and this was on FM, just three years before it the airwaves last night on 98.7. This is another example of this aircheck.
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?862wv7b79fbhsf3
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?862wv7b79fbhsf3
At least with the radios I've tried, I can't get reliable mobile HD FM reception West of the Mountainside / New Providence area in NJ, about 25 miles away from the ESB. And at my home 30 miles away, even stationary HD reception requires some skill to hold the antenna in a certain position to get the HD signals to decode. Even just walking around my home or yard with the Insignia portable HD Radio is useless because as soon as I start to move, the HD signals drop out.TimeIsTight said:
HD AM is even worse. The only signal I can get to decode reliably at home is WOR. WFAN and WCBS are flakey at best, and WINS, WADO, and WQEW don't decode in HD at all. My HD Radio actually does a better job of receving C-Quam AM Stereo from little 1 kW "graveyard channel" station 1450 WCTC than it does of receiving AM IBOC from the big 50 kW clear channel NYC stations!
Thanks to all for responding to my questions about HD listening, and for sending audio files so I could hear for myself.
I know the geography of all the areas you describe well, in both New Jersey and Miami.
If current HD signals can reach Exit-105 on the Garden State mostly intact, that's farther than I expected, good enough for me, and somewhat better than the picture I had after reading some other posts.
The signal problems west of Mountainside/New Providence suggest how line-of-sight is important. There used to be a lookout tower in the Watchung Reservation, off New Providence Road in Mountainside, and you could see across to New York City from there, certainly that mountain blocks signals going the other way. But again, that barrier is farther out than I expected to hear.
It is a surprise that AM HD doesn't get out better, among the stations listed, WOR does have the best signal where I think you are in Central Jersey. I might have expected even a weak digital signal to produce good audio, if the receiver gets all the bits, signal level shouldn't matter, but I guess it's not getting all the bits?
That leads to a couple of other questions about HD: Do you think the reception limitations HD has on both AM and FM, are caused because the digital signals are sent at reduced power? Looking ahead, do you think digital HD reception would go as far and be as listenable, without too many dropouts, as analog is now, if the AM and FM frequencies were used just for full power digital?
(looking back, I probably should have posted my original question in the HD thread, but I was just responding to the previous post)
I know the geography of all the areas you describe well, in both New Jersey and Miami.
If current HD signals can reach Exit-105 on the Garden State mostly intact, that's farther than I expected, good enough for me, and somewhat better than the picture I had after reading some other posts.
The signal problems west of Mountainside/New Providence suggest how line-of-sight is important. There used to be a lookout tower in the Watchung Reservation, off New Providence Road in Mountainside, and you could see across to New York City from there, certainly that mountain blocks signals going the other way. But again, that barrier is farther out than I expected to hear.
It is a surprise that AM HD doesn't get out better, among the stations listed, WOR does have the best signal where I think you are in Central Jersey. I might have expected even a weak digital signal to produce good audio, if the receiver gets all the bits, signal level shouldn't matter, but I guess it's not getting all the bits?
That leads to a couple of other questions about HD: Do you think the reception limitations HD has on both AM and FM, are caused because the digital signals are sent at reduced power? Looking ahead, do you think digital HD reception would go as far and be as listenable, without too many dropouts, as analog is now, if the AM and FM frequencies were used just for full power digital?
(looking back, I probably should have posted my original question in the HD thread, but I was just responding to the previous post)
Air miles, Eatontown is not as far away as people perceive. You go around the horn to get there as you head South on the Parkway from Manhattan.TimeIsTight said:
I have been mentioning the FM HD since that is originating from Empire and is the reference point for the discussion. But, as for the AM's, that's quite a different story. 1010 has a disasterous signal in New Jersey even though the transmitter is in the Lyndhurst swamps. The signal sloshes east probably halfway across Long Island in HD, once it blows past The City. Island radio will give HD to Toms River. Lodi, probably similar. But remember, AM is more susseptible to noice, so you may not receive it without dropouts even in Newark. It is why we are all sharing the same opinion. I have HD "at home, in the car, and some other place" if for no other reason because of curiosity. I want to feel comfortable with my own observations and conclusions.
There is no question.
No. TV is a good example of that.
Yeah, probably, but if the mods think that, it will be moved, anyway.
Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!
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