Lack of consumer votes/reviews indicative of HD's failure

[Mike Walker]

Come on RF, if 99 percent of AMs billed poorly, THEREWOULD BE NO AM! Nobody's going to continue to lose money year after year and say "alright gang, let's keep it up!" The number MAY be as high as 35-40 percent, but it AIN'T "99 percent".

 

[R.F. Burns]

But the future isn't a bright one. There are many AM's going dark around the country and the audience continues to age. While a WFAN and a WBZ might be amongst the most profitable stations in the country, 99% of the AM stations in major markets are outside of the top ten when it comes to profits. How many AM stations are nothing more than conveyors of informerical product or pay for play if you prefer. That's what most syndicated religious stations are all about. Remember too that stations such as WFAN, WCBS and WINS are very expensive to run, much more so than a music formated radio station.

 

[Chuck]

I think your future is largely the result of your expectations. If you go into something thinking, “This will never work," it probably won't. It makes you the victim of a self fulfilling prophecy. If you think AM will never be viable, then I suggest not investing in any AM stations. I know quite a few people who do operate small AM stations and they seem to be doing OK. Sure, AM has its technical challenges, but it is not dead. Adding more interference to the band is not going to help.

Unless you take Radio World's "Guy Wire" to heart and take steps to "thin the herd," IBOC on AM will not be a good solution for most stations, especially those that are not high power. I'll be the first to admit that thinning the herd might make sense to make room for HD, but it only makes sense if you are not one of the stations that are on the endangered species list.

 

[R.F. Burns]

I think your future is largely the result of your expectations. If you go into something thinking, “This will never work," it probably won't. It makes you the victim of a self fulfilling prophecy. If you think AM will never be viable, then I suggest not investing in any AM stations. I know quite a few people who do operate small AM stations and they seem to be doing OK. Sure, AM has its technical challenges, but it is not dead. Adding more interference to the band is not going to help.

Unless you take Radio World's "Guy Wire" to heart and take steps to "thin the herd," IBOC on AM will not be a good solution for most stations, especially those that are not high power. I'll be the first to admit that thinning the herd might make sense to make room for HD, but it only makes sense if you are not one of the stations that are on the endangered species list.

and I will repeat, if you own a station and you feel you are being interfered with, report it! It's a simple as that. I'm not saying every Am will go under but in the very competitive NY market Am's are slowly dying because of the lessening agency buys, due to the aging audience.

 

[davideduardo]

Come on RF, if 99 percent of AMs billed poorly, THEREWOULD BE NO AM! Nobody's going to continue to lose money year after year and say "alright gang, let's keep it up!" The number MAY be as high as 35-40 percent, but it AIN'T "99 percent".

When FCC and then NAB financial reports were available, from the 50's through the 90's, about half of all US radio stations were not profitable. There has, in the past, always beens omeone who wants a radio station and will buy a dog. Many AMs in metros are now religious or narrowly targeted ethnic programmed stations, and many are now simulcasting an FM. The worst are going silent, and this will continue.

While there are many successful smaller market AMs, big markets are different. Few cover the whole market, and those that go brokered or religion may make money, but they are not "competing" for audience with the FMs. And in the top 100 markets, there are only about 200 really viable AMs!

 

[Chuck]

and I will repeat, if you own a station and you feel you are being interfered with, report it! It's a simple as that. I'm not saying every Am will go under but in the very competitive NY market Am's are slowly dying because of the lessening agency buys, due to the aging audience.

I don't think you get it. If you own a small AM (or even FM) station, HD will do nothing for you, except perhaps make you spend more money than you should. There is no foreseeable return on your investment. Under the present scheme, HD coverage will be less than your analog signal, and it will cost a kings ransom to participate in the party. Most small stations simply can't afford it, even though they are quite viable as they are. They'd be better off putting their money into programming that someone wants to listen to. I suspect that’s why you see so few AM’s rushing to adopt HD.

 

[calstymes]

I really don't understand your constant prediction of doom and gloom for the AM broadcast band, R.F. I don't get it. When the content is good and I want to hear that content, I tune to it.

For instance:

When I want to hear sports, I tune to WFAN. When I want to hear the news and/or weather, I tune to WINS or WCBS. When I want to hear business I tune to WBBR. When I want to hear right-wing propaganda, I tune to WABC and when I want to hear left-wing propaganda, I tune to WWRL.

So does everyone else in the NYC market who wants to hear these things, regardless of age.

Do you really think AM IBOC is going to save these stations from going dark due to having no listeners? I'm going to listen to them anyway, whether or not they have that buzz on their signals or not. I want the CONTENT.

 

[Mike Walker]

Yes there was a time when half of all radio stations lost money. That's the one problem that consolidation, restructuring, and staff cuts have solved. Now the vast majority are profitable...including many AMs.

It's been written that young adults won't listen to AM. WRONG! Young men already do listen to sports and talk on FM. I know lots of guys in their 20s who listen to ballgames and sports talk shows on AM. What remains is to put something there that young WOMEN will listen to!