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LPFMs, NCEs and AMs all to move to former TVs 5 and 6?

The government theives and corporate theives and TV theives aren't excited about it so, although it makes 100 percent technical sense, it's unlikely to happen. Heaven forbid 3 tv stations nationwide would have to move... Oh the humanity!
 
So I want to wait until everyone buys new radios so someone can hear me again. Meanwhile, I bleed money (advertising or donations) because no one can hear me. In this day and age, well I buy that fancy new phone from Verizon or a new radio? The fancy phone would win out, unfortunately.
 
If there was a mandate to add this band to car radios, and I owned a daytimer, I think I would take the risk.
Especially with a reasonable phase-in process such as used for the expanded band.
 
Greatoldies I think you are missing the point. The idea here is simulcast for a long time to make the transition. If you're poor, you could get an old FM transmitter that could go kicking and screaming down to the below the normal fm band channel and hang an antenna on your existing little AM's tower using an isocoupler or insulator stand-offs to the 0 point voltage cross-over. That way there would be no rent. Let me ask you a question. Wouldn't you rather have a FM if all it cost you was the equipment? Yeah, not many radios will tune it now, but how about in 20 years? When you retire out you could sell the station for a LOT more because your stick value just went up tremendously.
 
Personally, I think they aught to allow analog on these new frequencies with AMs getting first pick. Also, they aught to take over 2-6 not just 5-6 even if it's on a secondary basis. What bitch would TV have if we did it on a secondary service? (I'm sure they'd try something!)
 
Keep in mind there's a ton of old analog TV transmitters out there that have an oral section that's FM. I see no reason we couldn't make them work for this service cheaply and efficently.
 
OKC, if this was 15-20 years ago I'd agree wholeheartedly. I can remember some folks floating a proposal for "FM2" which would have been around the 220mHz ham band (probably displacing it). Before that there was 9kHz spacing, with an idea to put all daytimers on new frequencies that would have been created and let them have full time.

I'm aware that there would be a simulcast period. I just think that now, people are less inclined than they would have been with fewer entertainment choices, to buy new radios when they could be buying new cellphone apps or downloading more songs and podcasts. That would especially be true with LPFMs and some AMs. Then would the feds really follow through on having the departing stations sign off the original signal. Many of the daytimers that were supposed to have signed off after moving to the expanded band have been sold and are still operating, and the original idea was to clean up the AM band. Station X moves to 69mHz, and someone is going to apply for it's former facility. Thus, we haven't cleaned anything up.
 
All good points... I'm guessing the only way the AM band would get 'cleaned up' regardless if there was a 'migration' to the TV channels would be that the percentage of listeners to the MW band signal would be small enough that it would make more economic sense to just kill that signal. There would certainly be a temptation for the FCC to re-issue the signal unless some strict guidelines like a mandate that nothing under 5kw omni could even get re-licensed would be put into place.
 
gr8oldies said:
Why would I want to move my station where no one could recieve it?
Click to expand...

Excellent point. Their plan seems to be to move all existing AM radio stations to a new
FM band where they could only transmit in digital. This would seem to have the potential
to reduce their audience by 99.957% Presto, the current unease and discomfort our political
class is experiencing with AM talk radio disappears, with no nasty court battles over the
Fairness Doctrine or the First Amendment.

More than one way to skin a cat, I guess.
 
FreddyE1977 said:
gr8oldies said:
Why would I want to move my station where no one could recieve it?
Click to expand...

Excellent point. Their plan seems to be to move all existing AM radio stations to a new
FM band where they could only transmit in digital. This would seem to have the potential
to reduce their audience by 99.957% Presto, the current unease and discomfort our political
class is experiencing with AM talk radio disappears, with no nasty court battles over the
Fairness Doctrine or the First Amendment.
Click to expand...

While I may have my own personal quarrels with the tone of some of Talk Radio, I think it would be fair to say that if A.M. Radio as a band were moved or simply abandoned and told to cease and desist, today's successful Talkers would promptly be invited to new homes on existing F.M. stations.

gr8oldies spoke to the thoughts of station owners: Why move my station to a band that has no receivers, thus no listeners? Let me also address the plight of those listeners of the NCEs and the A.M. stations: Why should my programming be offered a position next door to Davy Jones' Locker while programming that others choose to listen to is given favorable treatment?

Can you imagine the chaos and fury the "Tea Bagger Crowd" would pour out on Washington at the mention of maybe turning off talk radio? Can you imagine the chaos and fury the friends of Public Radio, Concert Music, and the National Endowments that put finding into Concert Orchestras would pour out on Washington at the mention of moving the NCEs to some crippled frequency? Can you imagine the chaos and fury the "Stop Madeline O'Hare from taking away my Christian Station" letter writers would pour out on Washington at the mention of moving all NCE religious broadcasters to Frequency-Timbuktu?

You and I may have a bone or two to pick with "The Political Class" but they ARE the political class because they have the ability to read the temperament of the voters. Moving broadcasters to new frequencies will be a mine-field that must be crossed very, very carefully.
 
What about reinstating the pre-war FM band (42-50 MHz)? If analog TV was still on, I would rather have this band used as TV channel 1 (44-50 MHz) instead.
 
Whatever it takes to get the AM, mediumwave band back to it former usefulness of the 1960's is good.
I liked having daytimers AND being able to listen to distant clear channels after sundown.

If the move made daytimers happy, I'd be happy, as then the band would clear out enough to permit LPAMs with 10-20 watts to
provide a decent service area for a few frequencies.

If we only got rid of a few of the duplicative "sports yap" stations, things would be greatly improved. Why do such formats need to be duplicated over and over, as if radio is only good for 100 miles? I'm tired of hearing such shows 6 places on the dial.
 
Would we see new Radio station ? , on this side off the band ? Ie not global media company . More off New loacl station with loacl staff , could employ more people . I.e. New jobs . Many let loacl company Advertise on Radio with out have pay tham big prices .
when all this going to happen are is the health care reform bill all over again .
 
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