I wonder how long AM radio will be profitable and be able to survive. AM is closing in on 100 years old. How many stations will still be on the air in Boston come 2016? or 2021, the 100th anniversay of AM radio? The main age demo is 24 to 55 years old and many people at the bottom of that bracket use mp3 players and smartphones instead of FM radio these days.
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
Future of AM Radio
- Thread starter mgpt6
- Start date
This isn't a Boston topic, I'm not sure why you posted this here. Additionally, this conversation has been had ad-nauseum since the 70's.
If you want to make it Boston-based? The small stations will be the first to go unless they're outrageously entrenched in the community with fantastic community service and an excellent web presence. WBZ isn't in danger anytime soon. By soon, I mean they've got at least a decade.
If you want to make it Boston-based? The small stations will be the first to go unless they're outrageously entrenched in the community with fantastic community service and an excellent web presence. WBZ isn't in danger anytime soon. By soon, I mean they've got at least a decade.
So many discussions about the death of AM radio. WBZ and a lot of powerhouse AM stations are still doing well. As far as I know 95 percent of radios manufactured still have the AM band. Everyone says no one under thirty or forty even knows what AM radio is. Yes, younger people, for the most part aren't interested in news and talk, therefore they don't listen. The smaller stand alone AM's are the ones that are in danger.
AM for news and sports..FM for music. It's pretty simple. I know things are changing,but the WBZ's of the world will be here for some time to come.
AM for news and sports..FM for music. It's pretty simple. I know things are changing,but the WBZ's of the world will be here for some time to come.
FM for sports, talk, and music. FM because AM signals stink due to interference, switchover/powerdown at sunset
(though the out of town stations show up), etc. Talk/news will continue on WBUR and WGBH,
and maybe WTKK too. Sports on both WBZ-FM and WEEI-FM. There will still be plenty of
music stations on FM, trust me. (You can get even more with HD or sat radio...or Net streaming
via smartphone, FM mini transmitter etc.) Yeah keep WBZ news, talk on AM, maybe RKO too
but for sports especially, FM has so many advantages that Ancient Modulation, despite the
distant recep at night, can't match.
(though the out of town stations show up), etc. Talk/news will continue on WBUR and WGBH,
and maybe WTKK too. Sports on both WBZ-FM and WEEI-FM. There will still be plenty of
music stations on FM, trust me. (You can get even more with HD or sat radio...or Net streaming
via smartphone, FM mini transmitter etc.) Yeah keep WBZ news, talk on AM, maybe RKO too
but for sports especially, FM has so many advantages that Ancient Modulation, despite the
distant recep at night, can't match.
IIRC, television was going to kill off radio by the late 50s, just after it, television, was finished killing off movies in the mid-50s. It didn't, because television doesn't do what film or radio does, which should have been obvious to the doomsayers.
Today may well be a different story, but the band most at risk to the newer technology is FM, not AM. Because the new technology DOES DO what FM radio does, and does it better.
The programming on most AM radio stations (news, topical talk, sports talk and sports play-by-play) is the least susceptible to MP3 player predation. The greatest strength of the FM band, the quality of the sound, has allowed FM to corner the market on music programming. Music programming is also the programming most easily replaced by personal, portable, devices other than FM radios. I-Tunes and the like now allow everyone to be their own music PD, and with an any genre playlist with no losers, no range limitations, and no clutter of any type. And do it on the cheap. The devices that you used to have to carry on your shoulder to get heavy-duty sound now fit in your watch pocket.
When you see everyone on a subway platform with buds jammed in their ears and rocking to their tunes, it ain't a radio station that IPod or Zune or etc is tuned too.
If I were an FM music PD, I'd be looking over my shoulder while waiting for AM to die. Ironically, after all the premature obituaries, AM radio may well be the last man standing.
Regards,
TSB
Today may well be a different story, but the band most at risk to the newer technology is FM, not AM. Because the new technology DOES DO what FM radio does, and does it better.
The programming on most AM radio stations (news, topical talk, sports talk and sports play-by-play) is the least susceptible to MP3 player predation. The greatest strength of the FM band, the quality of the sound, has allowed FM to corner the market on music programming. Music programming is also the programming most easily replaced by personal, portable, devices other than FM radios. I-Tunes and the like now allow everyone to be their own music PD, and with an any genre playlist with no losers, no range limitations, and no clutter of any type. And do it on the cheap. The devices that you used to have to carry on your shoulder to get heavy-duty sound now fit in your watch pocket.
When you see everyone on a subway platform with buds jammed in their ears and rocking to their tunes, it ain't a radio station that IPod or Zune or etc is tuned too.
If I were an FM music PD, I'd be looking over my shoulder while waiting for AM to die. Ironically, after all the premature obituaries, AM radio may well be the last man standing.
Regards,
TSB
TSBench:
You've got an interesting take on the situation, and I find it a rather convincing argument.
Then again, I've always had a soft spot in my heart for AM, and feel somewhat sad over what some have called the "shortwaving" of AM...where it basically continues to shrivel and wither until it becomes like shortwave is now...it's still there...but it hardly matters anymore.
You've got an interesting take on the situation, and I find it a rather convincing argument.
Then again, I've always had a soft spot in my heart for AM, and feel somewhat sad over what some have called the "shortwaving" of AM...where it basically continues to shrivel and wither until it becomes like shortwave is now...it's still there...but it hardly matters anymore.
TSBench:
To be honest, I doubt it.
There's nothing to *keep* the spoken-word "AM formats" on AM. Heck, you're already seeing it with 98.5 there. Here (Nashville) we've had a dominant news/talk outlet on FM for twenty years. A successful sports station has been on FM for nine years. (and since earlier this year, we've had *two* sports operations on FM) Boston & Nashville are hardly the only such markets.
Over the next few years we'll continue to see spoken-word formats moving to FM facilities, displacing the increasingly uncompetitive music formats.
I don't see WBZ going away anytime in the foreseeable future, although I certainly do see an FM simulcast. As for any other Boston AM except *maybe* 680 & 850 -- I sure wouldn't be buying any stock.
To be honest, I doubt it.
There's nothing to *keep* the spoken-word "AM formats" on AM. Heck, you're already seeing it with 98.5 there. Here (Nashville) we've had a dominant news/talk outlet on FM for twenty years. A successful sports station has been on FM for nine years. (and since earlier this year, we've had *two* sports operations on FM) Boston & Nashville are hardly the only such markets.
Over the next few years we'll continue to see spoken-word formats moving to FM facilities, displacing the increasingly uncompetitive music formats.
I don't see WBZ going away anytime in the foreseeable future, although I certainly do see an FM simulcast. As for any other Boston AM except *maybe* 680 & 850 -- I sure wouldn't be buying any stock.
Yes, TSBench does have an interesting view, which is very believeable.
If AM radio dies, it will be the fault of the AM-owners.
Look at the Boston dial.....
10 non-English-language stations
5 religious stations
1 comedy station
(the 16 above, with total ratings of 2.0)
4 sports stations (with 2nd- or 3rd-tier sports programming)
1 talk station
(the 5 above, with a total rating of under a 10)
1 news/talk station (with ratings slipping)
1 music-in-English station (JIB), probably holding steady with a 1.2 if WJIB transmitted PPM signal, which it doesn't.
Not too interesting of a choice on AM. But I disagree with the poster who said the smaller stations will not survive. WJIB-740 will, WBZ-1030 will, and the ethnic ones will too as there's always some folks in the ethnic communities who want to pay to do radio.
If AM radio dies, it will be the fault of the AM-owners.
Look at the Boston dial.....
10 non-English-language stations
5 religious stations
1 comedy station
(the 16 above, with total ratings of 2.0)
4 sports stations (with 2nd- or 3rd-tier sports programming)
1 talk station
(the 5 above, with a total rating of under a 10)
1 news/talk station (with ratings slipping)
1 music-in-English station (JIB), probably holding steady with a 1.2 if WJIB transmitted PPM signal, which it doesn't.
Not too interesting of a choice on AM. But I disagree with the poster who said the smaller stations will not survive. WJIB-740 will, WBZ-1030 will, and the ethnic ones will too as there's always some folks in the ethnic communities who want to pay to do radio.
Bob, you're outrageously entrenched in the community, that was one of my "except" points.
Foreign language programming obviously has a listening base, and a revenue source enough to justify being on the air.
You've gotta wonder though, which went away first? The good programming, or the money?
Formats die when the money isn't there to support it anymore. The money isn't there when the ears aren't there (or those ears are too old.)
You've made it work, but how many are really willing to do what you've done?
Foreign language programming obviously has a listening base, and a revenue source enough to justify being on the air.
You've gotta wonder though, which went away first? The good programming, or the money?
Formats die when the money isn't there to support it anymore. The money isn't there when the ears aren't there (or those ears are too old.)
You've made it work, but how many are really willing to do what you've done?
Gotta think it's both... but moreso the money went away first, at least for all NON-50,000-watt stations.reelyreal said:
Gotta also wonder if in an imaginary world, guys like us on this board could afford to buy stations (5kw or less) and run different formats... like all folk music, all country oldies, all-jazz, all Beatles-and-before-rock-oriented oldies, 1965-1979 album rock (yup, the Woodstock stuff), etc. Actually, it may not be imaginary... if prices for AM's go down significantly more. Those stations could not afford too many DJ's unfortunately (as 740 can't), but well-programmed automation would sound very good, and at least half-human. So imagine Boston with 5 or 6 different music choices, that no FM would touch, but still would have a sizable niche following. - And if the advertising isn't there, then there's always listener-support, or brokered Sundays. Such (listener support) has been extremely dependable at 740 for 6 years now, and it's just as easy now as it was in 2007.
Our company AM stations are, indeed, alive and well. It is a niche
format, to be sure, but it is not going away anytime soon. For
all of those who seem to think that there is a "need" for "community"
radio stations, AM would be the logical place to put them. The AM
ground wave signals will cover a very local area well. In a metropolitan
area such as Boston/Providence/Manchester/Worcester there is
simply no room for additional FM signals. Some of
the smaller "full service" AM stations will go away, however.
AM radio is alive and well, albeit different...
format, to be sure, but it is not going away anytime soon. For
all of those who seem to think that there is a "need" for "community"
radio stations, AM would be the logical place to put them. The AM
ground wave signals will cover a very local area well. In a metropolitan
area such as Boston/Providence/Manchester/Worcester there is
simply no room for additional FM signals. Some of
the smaller "full service" AM stations will go away, however.
AM radio is alive and well, albeit different...
And of course, we have to consider the HD FM radio stations(that no one listens to). They might have some potential down the road, but now is not the time.
In 1978, radio stations outside the USA went to a 9 kHz. spacing on their AM band; why don't we try it here in the USA and Canada? It could allow more diverse radio programming. We could also expand the band to 500 to 2,000 kHz. and move all the daytime radio stations to these areas, so they can operate 24/7/365.
In 1978, radio stations outside the USA went to a 9 kHz. spacing on their AM band; why don't we try it here in the USA and Canada? It could allow more diverse radio programming. We could also expand the band to 500 to 2,000 kHz. and move all the daytime radio stations to these areas, so they can operate 24/7/365.
Is 70-87 MHz being used for something else though?
Also even if radio manufacturers started to make sets with the added freqs, most of
the radios out there wouldn't be able to pick up those stations (till they get one)
Also even if radio manufacturers started to make sets with the added freqs, most of
the radios out there wouldn't be able to pick up those stations (till they get one)
blackgold said:
Why? So we can have more stations that few listens to? Besides, who wants to pay to retune the transmitters and convert the digital receivers (some have a switch and some don't)?
No we can't. The ITU allocates frequency bands, and the FCC and CRTC follow those allocations. Changes take years, and those bands won't be changing anytime soon.
And, again, who is going to retune transmitters and convert receivers to cover new frequencies - for stations that few people listen to?
- Status