I can state without doubt, that most LPFM'ers are former on air talent or the like who want to own a station. Radio is dying brothers...look around! Ipods, streaming, wifi radios, satellite radio, podcasts, on-demand content, heck -- PANDORA!! People are flocking to them. Not to listen to LPFM's..ask the young generation what a radio is and they say ,"what?"..sorry to say, but that's the reality. LPFM's should been 20 years ago. It wont be long til Congress does away with most of the broadcast spectrum as we know it. Instead of investing in processors, exciters, couplers..be looking at how to get on the INTERNET!! Hello!? Most of the LPFM's I've heard...do all the same things the " " big boys do. AUTOMATE. With a few live shifts here and there OR religous programming. I'm not saying that done right LPFM's a can't be a service to a community, but the time to move to the internet is now. NOW! Quit living "the dream of the 1970's" and get your dream where it's viable and real! Online.
-
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
LPFM HYPE- BUT THERE IS SOMETHING BETTER
- Thread starter joshzz
- Start date
wilson1000 said:
The criticisms you throw at LPFMs and the "big boys" could also be tossed at all the internet stations. I've tried quite a few. They're all automated music boxes. No "community service." So what's the big attraction? The only one I know of is convenience. It's built in my desk top. Cool. So's Adobe Audition.
"It wont be long til Congress does away with most of the broadcast spectrum as we know it."
Please realize that many places, including where I live, don't have high-speed internet. Until Congress mandates that everyone has 100% accessibility, radio will still be the only (or at least dominant) game in town.
Please realize that many places, including where I live, don't have high-speed internet. Until Congress mandates that everyone has 100% accessibility, radio will still be the only (or at least dominant) game in town.
Great posts!
Since I made the initial post, I discovered that LPFMs (and I believe translators alike) will not be offered protection from HD.
According to my engineer, this is going to severely hamper the ability of LPFMs from reaching any population whatsoever. There is grat potential for siginificant interference with the 60 dbu. People aren't going to listen to a station that has noise from an HD channel pushing in.
Within the next few years as the economy stabilizes, the number of stations broadcasting in HD will grow signicantly
The noise will be awful.
josh
Since I made the initial post, I discovered that LPFMs (and I believe translators alike) will not be offered protection from HD.
According to my engineer, this is going to severely hamper the ability of LPFMs from reaching any population whatsoever. There is grat potential for siginificant interference with the 60 dbu. People aren't going to listen to a station that has noise from an HD channel pushing in.
Within the next few years as the economy stabilizes, the number of stations broadcasting in HD will grow signicantly
The noise will be awful.
josh
HD radio as no real atraction to the general public at this time but like most things it will either grow or be forced upon us as time goes on. It's reason for being alive varies from place to place but one big reason is HD2 and HD3 audio feeds which often get repeated on analog translators for a certain area there by giving the broadcast companies another mini station in the market or area where no other station can be added. An LPFM's ability to do HD radio is very limited do to low power and tower height, a problem the FCC will probly have to address in the future. Iboc said HD would work for LPFM's but they also claim AM HD works well too and we all know the truth to that one. Is HD radio on FM really nessary or is just digital FM a better way to go less noise/interference and still second and third audio feeds.
IBOC HD was/is/will be a terrible terrible mistake.
Interference will become huge as the number of stations broadcasting in IBOC HD increase. Sadly, the answer that affords multiple HD channels to each broadcaster at low cost, is being slowly pushed down the toilet ... FMextra was/is/and will be the answer - NO interference issues, no need for expensive yearly licensing and great HD sound quality.
THE ANSWER IS HERE >>> FMextra.. Can I get a witness?
Interference will become huge as the number of stations broadcasting in IBOC HD increase. Sadly, the answer that affords multiple HD channels to each broadcaster at low cost, is being slowly pushed down the toilet ... FMextra was/is/and will be the answer - NO interference issues, no need for expensive yearly licensing and great HD sound quality.
THE ANSWER IS HERE >>> FMextra.. Can I get a witness?
IBOC HD was/is/will be a terrible terrible mistake.
Interference will become huge as the number of stations broadcasting in IBOC HD increase. Sadly, the answer that affords multiple HD channels to each broadcaster at low cost, is being pushed down the toilet ... FMextra was/is/and will be the answer - NO interference issues, no need for expensive yearly licensing and great HD sound quality.
THE ANSWER IS HERE >>> FMextra.. Can I get a witness?
Interference will become huge as the number of stations broadcasting in IBOC HD increase. Sadly, the answer that affords multiple HD channels to each broadcaster at low cost, is being pushed down the toilet ... FMextra was/is/and will be the answer - NO interference issues, no need for expensive yearly licensing and great HD sound quality.
THE ANSWER IS HERE >>> FMextra.. Can I get a witness?
I'm also a fan of the FMeXtra idea. I even tried it on a 74 watt LPFM and it covered as well, if not better than the analog signal. It passed through translators with no additional human intervention, and sounded great. It didn’t cost the earth and was very easy to set up too. It took about 15 minutes. There wasn’t much to not like.
The problem seems to be that the FMeXtra folks were "quieted" by Ibiquity's financial considerations. They now market as a way to get video information through your radio. As a cheap and effective way to do hybrid digital radio without bothering your neighbors, I'm afraid it is a dead issue.
Maybe someone will come along with a similar concept, but different enough to avoid patent problems. I think there is an opportunity for someone.
The problem seems to be that the FMeXtra folks were "quieted" by Ibiquity's financial considerations. They now market as a way to get video information through your radio. As a cheap and effective way to do hybrid digital radio without bothering your neighbors, I'm afraid it is a dead issue.
Maybe someone will come along with a similar concept, but different enough to avoid patent problems. I think there is an opportunity for someone.
josh said:
Josh:
Though some LP-FM's are placed in larger cities, many are in small towns (think 5,000 to 10,000 residents) and that is really where I think the benefits of LP-FM could take hold. If the stations are run right, programmed correctly, offer community news and community voices and some diversity of programming here and there, they can be made to work.
But run as "anti-radio" and "I'm going to put what's on my i-Pod on the air because I can"...ain't gonna work. Nor will programming something "just because it's not on the air here" necessarily lead to success. You have to find a unique format that would be valued by more than 20-30 residents in your 10,000 resident area, so to speak. If there is one,
you're set. But that takes some form of research in the area in which the station resides. And many LP-FM operators don't do this...
My opinion, though of LP-FM's in big cities is less generous. I'm sure there's a handful of stations that can and do attreact audience. But for every one station that seems to be providing a service, there are others that are so screwed up, it would be amazing if they have listener one.
- Status