No FM radio in the second-generation iPhone? No surprise.

[clouseau]

Good Conversation, BTW...

I don't buy the mantra that music on AM is dead. I know of several AM stations that are doing very well as revenue-generators using a music format. They either fill a format "hole" in their community that FM won't touch like Gospel, Standards/Jazz or Ethnic,

Isn't that "Double speak" for "CAN'T COMPETE"? These stations get the dregs. If Gospel does well then an FM will pick it up. And kick the AM's butt. AM CAN NOT COMPETE in the music universe head to head. Please I'm beggin you. SOmeone give us just ONE EXAMPLE.

or they promote themselves in a fun, engaging way. In every case, the stations are closely involved with their communities; sponsoring events or doing some kind of charity drive (and getting press coverage in the process).

And that is a good thing. Oft times FM doesn't do that. However if they did, they'd beat the AM. EVERY TIME.

In fact, I find this whole hand-wringing over whether or not AM is dying, a total waste of time. I know a couple of AM station owners and I can tell you that they don't spend much time thinking about that question. Instead, they take care of business, get involved in their community, study listener habits and trends and implement new technology where appropriate. And should the day come when AM is officially declared dead and these guys have to dismantle their towers, they will already be into the next broadcast "thing" and making money from it.

It's the pundants and bloggers and those on the sidelines who ask if AM is dead. The owners are too busy.

It's the captain and the engine room that need to worry about that iceburg. I guess everyone else just needs to keep playing "Oh Danny Boy."

Clouseau

 

[clouseau]

Okay. Help me out here.

That's what I live for, Bob.

You just said that HD-AM offers the POTENTIAL of bringing younger listeners back to the band, not "that it would" or "will." I got that part. But then:

You relate how Radio Disney listeners, who are listening for the most part to HD-AM signals, when they want to graduate to Furtado or Avril, don't turn the dial - they slide the bandswitch.

How does this support your contention that HD-AM will help the band get younger listeners?

Because there are ZERO choices for any music on AM after you pass Kiddie Radio Disney.

Assuming, As I do, perhaps mistakenly, that the average listener of radio is basically too lazy to buy an I-pod, buy all the music and never have the latest stuff without purchasing it (A lot of if's), music radio works. We all have to agree on this before we even start the whole AM-FM-HD music thing. Otherwise, ALL radio is screwed. I do not believe all radio is screwed. Never have. Our Radio Disneyites are sliding the band switch to FM. Tha't's because Furtado and Lavigne aren't playing on AM. And they're not playing on AM because Analog AM sounds inferior to FM. Analog AM with music can NOT compete.

Yes, you can noodle around with AM and we all know you need to, but if you do the same with FM, FM will win. The BEST sounding AM might beat the worst sounding FM, but I know you are not telling me that AM sound doesn't get beat every time. AM sound is inferior.

Again I ask. Where is a music AM competing successfully head to head with an FM? If CK, 'LS and WABC coudn't do it, I'm bettin' it's not happening anywhere else that matters.

You just stated that young, new, freshly-recruited AM listeners are deserting AM for other entertainment....irrespective of the presence of HD!

If your point is that there is no music on AM yet, I agree. It's a problem. HD, if universally implemented, would most likely change that. We can both agree it's NOT universally implemented. May very well never be. But I believe there is a progression of technology t give us some historical perspective. How about CW, SW, AM, FM, TV. Look at how they progress and evolve. CW made life work, but now is baiscally gone. But "Digital Coding" got updated into RTTY and later TV and now HDTV.

CW is done for. Hams have even abandoned it.

Short Wave is basically done for. Trying to get into the game with DRM. Good luck with that.

AM. Slowly sliding into the SW wasteland. One by one the Big AM's will convert to better sounding FM. Especially if it is determined that HD has failed. Even now it is commonplace on the Philadelphia board to see someone listening to KYW on WYSP-HD.

FM. It will only fail if the concept of "Radio" fails. It souinds good enough. Ditto TV. Since it's very easy to make HDTV look "better" than reality.

TV just reinvented itself. Arguably, HD can look bettter than reality. Gonna be here a while.

AM is next on the list to die. I like it a lot, but FM sounds better. It'll be like WT Grant. We'll say "Gee that's too bad. What's for dinner". The sound quality HAS t change.

Young people don't care about AM. And if they aren't brought around to care, AM is screwed.

Clouseau

 

[KB1OKL]

Good Conversation, BTW...

I don't buy the mantra that music on AM is dead. I know of several AM stations that are doing very well as revenue-generators using a music format. They either fill a format "hole" in their community that FM won't touch like Gospel, Standards/Jazz or Ethnic,

Isn't that "Double speak" for "CAN'T COMPETE"? These stations get the dregs. If Gospel does well then an FM will pick it up. And kick the AM's butt. AM CAN NOT COMPETE in the music universe head to head. Please I'm beggin you. SOmeone give us just ONE EXAMPLE.


Clouseau

This may not be a huge example but WARE in Ware, MA is a 50's and 60's rock n roll station that has been doing the same format since at least the early 80's, I think actually a lot earlier. They are all local except for the news and have many local programs and actually advertise for people who would like to have their own radio show. I listen to this station quite often as I've heard songs here I've never heard before in my life and I'm a musician who has been playing for over 40 years. It attracts me because of the variety of music firstly and secondly because of the local aspect of the station.

How about CW, SW, AM, FM, TV. Look at how they progress and evolve. CW made life work, but now is baiscally gone. But "Digital Coding" got updated into RTTY and later TV and now HDTV.

CW is done for. Hams have even abandoned it.

I don't know where you got that info but it is wrong, it is true it is not a requirement for a ham license anymore but many hams still use it and actually I am learning it, the ARRL broadcasts code every day on shortwave for code practice.

Short Wave is basically done for. Trying to get into the game with DRM. Good luck with that.

DRM is going the way of HD and is just as bad, clogs up the SW broadcast bands with hash just like good 'ol HD

AM. Slowly sliding into the SW wasteland. One by one the Big AM's will convert to better sounding FM. Especially if it is determined that HD has failed. Even now it is commonplace on the Philadelphia board to see someone listening to KYW on WYSP-HD.

AM will never die, it will come to it's senses, program better and widen it frequency response perhaps cut down on the compression a little bit and will be around for years, why? Because you can receive it for hundreds of miles easily at night which for some reason gets shot down by IBOC enthusiasts, it is ones of AM radios best attributes, FM is line of sight, and good AM can sound as good as FM, I've heard it.

FM. It will only fail if the concept of "Radio" fails. It sounds good enough. Ditto TV. Since it's very easy to make HDTV look "better" than reality.

Anything artificial like HD TV or IBOC grows tiresome for most people after a short period of time, and the rest Couldn't care less, so what's the use, beyond a selling point which is also growing stale?

TV just reinvented itself. Arguably, HD can look bettter than reality. Gonna be here a while.

AM is next on the list to die. I like it a lot, but FM sounds better. It'll be like WT Grant. We'll say "Gee that's too bad. What's for dinner". The sound quality HAS t change.

FM does not sound much better than a good AM station received on a good receiver and it can run rings around FM as far as distance goes.

Young people don't care about AM. And if they aren't brought around to care, AM is screwed.

If AM radio is screwed, all radio is screwed, but I don't believe either, it is going through growing pains right now, needs to get rid of this earsore called IBOC and get back to it's roots: giving the people what they want, local programming, deregulation started this whole mess.

Clouseau

 

[Savage]

I agree, this is a good thread. About what happened to AM music powerhouses like CKLW and WABC. I refer back to my previous comment about making the deductive misstep of assigning a single cause to the demise of these historic stations - like trying to isolate a single cause for all the fatal car crashes in a year in Arizona. And I can attest to this as an earwitness/eyewitness. I actually worked at some of those historic facilities at the time these battles were waged.

CKLW had a great, and great-sounding signal, but it was essentially hounded out of existence by the Canadian FCC (CRTC) that resented the station as "too American." It had a massive US audience - its weekly cume at one point was 16 million, meaning it was ONE AM STATION with the equivalent audience of XM and Sirius COMBINED, nationally. But CK was saddled with 30% stiffs (Canadian content music) and was forced to run 14 minutes of news an hour. The Big 8 escaped this death sentence from Ottawa by concocting local news so outrageous it was at least as entertaining as the music ("20/20 News.")
Listeners didn't desert CKLW over sound quality. They were gradually forced away by regulators with an agenda.

WABC didn't fail because of sound quality. PD Rick Sklar was stampeded by management dopes into a disastrous change to an all-disco format in 1978. By the time the Cap Cities morons started listening to Sklar again, it was too late; the base had scattered. WABC was described by a sage observer as "an endless black-and-white movie New York will always be in love with, that can't be duplicated anywhere." Consultants broke New York's heart, and Gotham never forgot or forgave.

Your old haunt WIBG died because of expansion of the city past the station's night coverage and - say it with me - endless dorking around with the programming, then abandonment of its heritage identity to flirt with dance-disco in the late 70s as 'WIZZARD 100.' Two moves which are hard to isolate as to which was dumber.

Back to your argument that "sound quality" has at least the hope of bringing a meaningful audience back to AM. Like you, I'm not necessarily satisfied with the audio quality of AM, but we disagree about whether HD is the way to fix that. I would argue that HD's too fragile, overly complex and generates too much interference. It's also too drastic - if the cards are stacked against AM on the consumer level to the degree you apparently believe, rotsa ruck getting people to buy new AM radios. Unless there is REALLY compelling programming there, why would they? And besides: HD just doesn't work with the vast majority of AM antenna installations existing today. It took CBS IBOC geniuses years and a reported million dollars to get HD on the air at KDKA (still at a 35kw STA) and WINS, and the stations still aren't right.

Thanks for "helping me out," Inspector. I do appreciate your devotion.

 

[clouseau]

I agree, this is a good thread. About what happened to AM music powerhouses like CKLW and WABC. I refer back to my previous comment about making the deductive misstep of assigning a single cause to the demise of these historic stations - like trying to isolate a single cause for all the fatal car crashes in a year in Arizona. And I can attest to this as an earwitness/eyewitness. I actually worked at some of those historic facilities at the time these battles were waged.


CKLW had a great, and great-sounding signal, but it was essentially hounded out of existence by the Canadian FCC (CRTC) that resented the station as "too American." It had a massive US audience - its weekly cume at one point was 16 million, meaning it was ONE AM STATION with the equivalent audience of XM and Sirius COMBINED, nationally. But CK was saddled with 30% stiffs (Canadian content music) and was forced to run 14 minutes of news an hour. The Big 8 escaped this death sentence from Ottawa by concocting local news so outrageous it was at least as entertaining as the music ("20/20 News.")
Listeners didn't desert CKLW over sound quality. They were gradually forced away by regulators with an agenda.

I've always believed that "Canadian Regulation" gave CK it's flavor. I swear this is true. We used to comment when they played something we weren't familiar with.... "Must be Canadian".

As a guy who spent a year working in Detroit in another business in '80, I couldn't say. Unlike in Philly, the work radio was near a flourescent light. We listened to WTWR - Tower 92. CK was only for the car. I lived nest door to work. I walked. It was ugly. While I truly disagree, I'll give you the Canadian Govt. killed CK.

WABC didn't fail because of sound quality. PD Rick Sklar was stampeded by management dopes into a disastrous change to an all-disco format in 1978. By the time the Cap Cities morons started listening to Sklar again, it was too late; the base had scattered. WABC was described by a sage observer as "an endless black-and-white movie New York will always be in love with, that can't be duplicated anywhere." Consultants broke New York's heart, and Gotham never forgot or forgave.

Well said. I agree, but not for why YOU think so. It's a "black and white movie" because it can't compete with other "color" stations. Like 'PLJ, 99X, KTU, Z-100. I moved away, so the chronology is probably BADLY flawed, but why can't WABC compete TODAY? It looks and sounds like "A Black and White Movie". It just won't work.

Your old haunt WIBG died because of expansion of the city past the station's night coverage and - say it with me - endless dorking around with the programming, then abandonment of its heritage identity to flirt with dance-disco in the late 70s as 'WIZZARD 100.' Two moves which are hard to isolate as to which was dumber.

Agreed. I'd love to blame Wibbage on AM fidelity, but it basically had too many geniouses fixing the problem. And the signal in the west 'burbs really DID suck. But I would contend 'FIL killed Wibbage, not WIFI (92 FM for those following in Rio Linda)

.
Back to your argument that "sound quality" has at least the hope of bringing a meaningful audience back to AM. Like you, I'm not necessarily satisfied with the audio quality of AM, but we disagree about whether HD is the way to fix that. I would argue that HD's too fragile, overly complex and generates too much interference. It's also too drastic - if the cards are stacked against AM on the consumer level to the degree you apparently believe, rotsa ruck getting people to buy new AM radios. Unless there is REALLY compelling programming there, why would they?

They won't. The fact that AM has a free ride to fidelity improvement with FM HD is truly a gift. SW never got this help. We'll see if it's enough to transform AM back from a "Specialty Band".

And besides: HD just doesn't work with the vast majority of AM antenna installations existing today. It took CBS IBOC geniuses years and a reported million dollars to get HD on the air at KDKA (still at a 35kw STA) and WINS, and the stations still aren't right.

Well I won't speculate with regards to why KDKA has their "Antenna Problem", I WILL say they haven't specified anything to do with HD in their STA request. (Which would seem like a no brainer if "I" were filing for STA). I don't know anyone at CBS, though, so I'll take your word on it.

Thanks for "helping me out," Inspector. I do appreciate your devotion.

Honestly, I doubt I could ever "Help you out". But opinions are always free. Just remember what you paid for them.

Clouseau

 

[Carmine5]

Yes, Carmine5, the results you obtain from your AM facility are directly proportional to the amount of time and attention given to that facility. Isn't that a startling phenomenon? Who saw that coming??

One of the major problems plaguing AM these days is: within a given corporate-run cluster, the AM has been allowed to deteriorate to the low-performing, low-priority facility in the group. At the end of the day, if there is 15 cents and 15 minutes left over, it gets devoted to the AM facility, maintenance, development and promotion. It's part of the culture of corporate cluster-management. You can even see it in mixes of A & C FM facilities (or As and Bs in this part of the country.) The As routinely get a fraction of the attention and investment given to the bigger sticks.


And as you have observed: when licensees pay attention and actually put some effort into their AMs, guess what? Miraculously they find ways to make them attact audiences and make money.

Actually, I think that, far more than receiver design and overallocation by the FCC, the worst thing that happened to AM in the past 25 years was lifting the restrictions on simulcasting co-owned FMs. That permitted licensees to start ignoring the AM facility, which operators have increasingly done ever since.

This is so true. The only AM I've ever seen a radio conglomerate lavish any attention on is Clear Channel with KFI. But, then, KFI consistently hovers at #2 or 3 in the L.A. market and did even before CC bought it.

But as Chuck indicated AM stations can do very well with niche programming. The two owners I know, one on the West Coast and the other on the East Coast, only have AM stations. Both carefully craft the sound and image of their stations (one is Standards, the other Oldies), do local news and public affairs and, guess what?, the stations have listeners and generate very healthy revenues.

My feeling is that if millions of kids will tune in every day to Radio Disney on AM, then the band itself is not the problem.

C5

 

[Savage]

The trajectory of HD Radio is mildly interesting, mostly astonishing in its stupidity, and remains a study in engineering denial and blatant falsehood and fakery. Gorman's recent blog on HD is a masterful overview.

So: this thread has been fun and informative, but at the end of the day, it's all "how many angels can/should/might dance on the head of a pin." IMHO: the HD debate is essentially over.

Even ex-iBiquity weenie Dan Mason is turning from HD to the internet, with the CBS-AOL merger/acquisition/coup. The CBS Radio Mangler-In-Chief recently put out a press release braying about his company's sudden discovery of Internet Radio with nary a sneer about HD Radio. Coming as it does from a former iBiquity exec and one of the chief perpetrators of HD, this is not a good thing for IBOC.

I predict HD will stumble along, with an ever-decreasing trickle of conversions on FM and virtually none on AM. The receivers have already disappeared at retail and will soon be relegated to web-sale curiosities like shortwave receivers and the Meduci AMax tuner. I predict the 10db FM digital increase mostly won't happen (for reasons amply discussed previously) and, where it does, will not significantly improve reception but will cause troublesome adjacent-channel interference. As HD increasingly fades in the rearview as a failed technology, stations will weary of the constant technical headaches and costs versus the virtually nonexistent digital audience and, slowly, the pop-count of hybrid stations will reverse. HD will be turned off, station by station. Terrestrial radio will be consumed digitally via the Internet, which offers superior sound, reliable reception and vastly greater choice.

BTW I do not share the alarmism of pro-IBOCers concerning the future of terrestrial radio under this scenario. Having a web simulcast for digital consumption is a natural progression which will not necessitate turning off the terrestrial transmitters. It will be just another way for listeners to consume your AM or FM, just like your local TV station is available online or via satellite or cable.

 

[clouseau]

Ok. I guess civility and mutual understanding is over. No problem. Let's see how an HD-Hater draws it all together...

The trajectory of HD Radio is mildly interesting, mostly astonishing in its stupidity, and remains a study in engineering denial and blatant falsehood and fakery. Gorman's recent blog on HD is a masterful overview.

I'm getting the feling we're not communicating here, Bob. Kinda more like dropping bombs.

So: this thread has been fun and informative, but at the end of the day, it's all "how many angels can/should/might dance on the head of a pin." IMHO: the HD debate is essentially over.

It's over because you don't LISTEN, Bob. I've listened to you and I really get where you're coming from. Frankly, I'm not SURE HD is the answer. However, you seem to be all too eager to jam your head in the sand and ignore your aging AND DYING listener base.

Even ex-iBiquity weenie Dan Mason is turning from HD to the internet, with the CBS-AOL merger/acquisition/coup. The CBS Radio Mangler-In-Chief recently put out a press release braying about his company's sudden discovery of Internet Radio with nary a sneer about HD Radio. Coming as it does from a former iBiquity exec and one of the chief perpetrators of HD, this is not a good thing for IBOC.

It's really telling, Bob. You take as an example a guy who was an HD advocate who has now changed his view to "The Internet" and hold him up as a champion of your analog AM cause? All of us in South Park need to stick our heads in the ground. It's great.

I predict HD will stumble along, with an ever-decreasing trickle of conversions on FM and virtually none on AM.

Let me phase this like it wasn't on MSNBC. "As HD penetration has now covered the vast majority of the country's listeners, the rate of FM conversion will diminish, but reamain srong and consistant.

How are we doing so far??

The receivers have already disappeared at retail and will soon be relegated to web-sale curiosities like shortwave receivers and the Meduci AMax tuner.

While first generation receivers like the Receptor and the Accurian have had their run and are no longer available, new receivers like JVC, Sangean and even "House" brands fill the void and swell the number of HD receivers available to a level higher than ever before.

I predict the 10db FM digital increase mostly won't happen (for reasons amply discussed previously) and, where it does,

WAIT A DOG GONE MINUTE! Is it going to happen or not? What is the the Psychic Frends network? It mostly won't happen, BUT WHERE IT DOES??? Let me turn over that 8-Ball again. "It is not clear".

will not significantly improve reception but will cause troublesome adjacent-channel interference. As HD increasingly fades in the rearview as a failed technology, stations will weary of the constant technical headaches and costs versus the virtually nonexistent digital audience and, slowly, the pop-count of hybrid stations will reverse. HD will be turned off, station by station. Terrestrial radio will be consumed digitally via the Internet, which offers superior sound, reliable reception and vastly greater choice.

I added the emphasis, but.. at least we agree that if nothing is done, EVENTUALLY terrestrial radio is screwed. Anyone know where I can get a good deal on a good signal outside of a market like Rochester. how about Corpus Christi?

BTW I do not share the alarmism of pro-IBOCers concerning the future of terrestrial radio under this scenario. Having a web simulcast for digital consumption is a natural progression which will not necessitate turning off the terrestrial transmitters. It will be just another way for listeners to consume your AM or FM, just like your local TV station is available online or via satellite or cable.

If we're all local that is true. But how much syndiacted fare really let's you stream?

We need to agree to disagree here, Bob, but when you say..."Terrestrial radio will be consumed digitally via the Internet, which offers superior sound, reliable reception and vastly greater choice", I know we all believe the same thing. Sound quality or death...

All the best...

Clouseau

 

[KB1OKL]

The trajectory of HD Radio is mildly interesting, mostly astonishing in its stupidity, and remains a study in engineering denial and blatant falsehood and fakery. Gorman's recent blog on HD is a masterful overview.

So: this thread has been fun and informative, but at the end of the day, it's all "how many angels can/should/might dance on the head of a pin." IMHO: the HD debate is essentially over.

Even ex-iBiquity weenie Dan Mason is turning from HD to the internet, with the CBS-AOL merger/acquisition/coup. The CBS Radio Mangler-In-Chief recently put out a press release braying about his company's sudden discovery of Internet Radio with nary a sneer about HD Radio. Coming as it does from a former iBiquity exec and one of the chief perpetrators of HD, this is not a good thing for IBOC.

I predict HD will stumble along, with an ever-decreasing trickle of conversions on FM and virtually none on AM. The receivers have already disappeared at retail and will soon be relegated to web-sale curiosities like shortwave receivers and the Meduci AMax tuner. I predict the 10db FM digital increase mostly won't happen (for reasons amply discussed previously) and, where it does, will not significantly improve reception but will cause troublesome adjacent-channel interference. As HD increasingly fades in the rearview as a failed technology, stations will weary of the constant technical headaches and costs versus the virtually nonexistent digital audience and, slowly, the pop-count of hybrid stations will reverse. HD will be turned off, station by station. Terrestrial radio will be consumed digitally via the Internet, which offers superior sound, reliable reception and vastly greater choice.

BTW I do not share the alarmism of pro-IBOCers concerning the future of terrestrial radio under this scenario. Having a web simulcast for digital consumption is a natural progression which will not necessitate turning off the terrestrial transmitters. It will be just another way for listeners to consume your AM or FM, just like your local TV station is available online or via satellite or cable.

I myself thought it was a well thought out, well written piece on the slow death throes of IBOC radio which is reeling like a punch drunk fighter who has brought to consciousness and shoved back into the ring way too many times by managers who have way too much money invested in the poor guy and won't let him retire, and the worst part is no one's even watching.

 

[Carmine5]

In keeping with this thread of no FM radio in iPhones, NAB honcho David Rehr-End released this statement today:

"With 257 million cell phones currently in service, we're confident that implementation of a new FM-radio feature would result in rapid penetration, benefiting...the radio business and American consumers."

http://www.radioink.com/HeadlineEntry.asp?hid=142514&pt=todaysnews

Maybe I'm missing something but aren't their two commercial radio bands, FM and AM? Isn't the NAB supposed to fight in behalf of all broadcasters, including AM?

And is it true what they say about the NAB, that with friends like them you don't need enemies?

C5

 

[clouseau]

I myself thought it was a well thought out, well written piece on the slow death throes of IBOC radio which is reeling like a punch drunk fighter who has brought to consciousness and shoved back into the ring way too many times by managers who have way too much money invested in the poor guy and won't let him retire, and the worst part is no one's even watching.

I feel the same way you do, Mass. Bob, but for a different fighter. The TRUE fighter in your analogy is AM RADIO. The old loveable dog... More resiliant than any of us would have thought when we were young pups.

As a kid who took major flack from my Dad because I had a DX list in my bedroom complete with a "Rig" category, I can tell you WITHOUT RESERVATION...

You & I do not represent the average listener of ANY legitiamate demographic group.
I worked in the Biz for my 10th year this past month. "Radio" doesn't care about either of us as a listener.

You're not typical. Neither am I.

Thsi is not a condemnation of you. It's not discrimination directed to you. It's a REALITY. You, like Savage and Clouseau and most of the rest who post here..., are not typical listeners. If you had ever worked in the business you would know that. While Savage & I don't agree on many things, I suspect he would confirm you're not typical.

You can pontificate about the death of HD till your heart's content. But, as obliquely referenced earlier in this thread, "You can look at the Iceberg... or you can play the violin." Life ain't good for AM without dramatic help.

"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain" does not apply. Three clicks of your heels gets you a need for a shoe shine. And you still have a dying listener base.

I love AM to death. But as myself... (OUCH) without help, our time is passing.

Clouseau

 

[Play Freebird]

The "average listener" expects to turn on the radio and have enjoyable programming come out (without a lot of fuss), just as he or she hopes to walk up to a drinking fountain, push the button, and have a nice stream of cold, clean water come out. The trouble with HD Radio is that the water is lukewarm and tastes funny, and the water pressure alternates between a blast and a dribble. Which is good for people like Apple, who sell bottled water.

 

[Savage]

Ummm...."civility and mutual understanding are over?" Why do you say that? And you're choosing to use, among others, the pejorative term "HD-hater?"

Sounds like those who call everybody who think Barack Obama shouldn't be president "racists." Or those who don't want Hillary in the White House "sexists." Guess nothing I say has any merit simply because I oppose HD. In the compass of a paragraph you accuse of me of "dropping bombs," liken me to South Park and MSNBC cartoons and loons, declare I'm sticking my head in the sand, and layer on the sarcasm in referring to my arguments. This follows a post where your reaction to my stance was "made-up nonsense."

I absolutely oppose IBOC and do so publicly and back up my arguments with sound technical data, not because I'm upset with other posters here, but because I think HD is a sham and a scam and is bad for the industry. But I do not denigrate other posters here. It's too bad you can't defend HD Radio without the rhetoric and personal affronts.

 

[KB1OKL]

I myself thought it was a well thought out, well written piece on the slow death throes of IBOC radio which is reeling like a punch drunk fighter who has been brought back to consciousness and shoved back into the ring way too many times by managers who have way too much money invested in the poor guy and won't let him retire, and the worst part is no one's even watching.

I feel the same way you do, Mass. Bob, but for a different fighter. The TRUE fighter in your analogy is AM RADIO. The old loveable dog... More resiliant than any of us would have thought when we were young pups.

As a kid who took major flack from my Dad because I had a DX list in my bedroom complete with a "Rig" category, I can tell you WITHOUT RESERVATION...

You & I do not represent the average listener of ANY legitiamate demographic group.
I worked in the Biz for my 10th year this past month. "Radio" doesn't care about either of us as a listener.

You're not typical. Neither am I.

Well that's for sure, you and I have heard of HD radio ;D

Thsi is not a condemnation of you. It's not discrimination directed to you. It's a REALITY. You, like Savage and Clouseau and most of the rest who post here..., are not typical listeners. If you had ever worked in the business you would know that. While Savage & I don't agree on many things, I suspect he would confirm you're not typical.

I know I'm not a typical listener, maybe a little bit ahead of the typical listener but I would have to say that if IBOC ever does become known well (which I doubt) most "typical" listeners will not like it either, probably not with the same passion as a few I know, but what I think would happen is that they would just gradually turn off over the air radio period because of too much noise in the bands, both AM and FM.

You can pontificate about the death of HD till your heart's content. But, as obliquely referenced earlier in this thread, "You can look at the Iceberg... or you can play the violin." Life ain't good for AM without dramatic help.

"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain" does not apply. Three clicks of your heels gets you a need for a shoe shine. And you still have a dying listener base.

I love AM to death. But as myself... (OUCH) without help, our time is passing.

I don't think AM is dieing, it may change but it will be there. HD on the other hand has had how much money and industry giants trying to push it? Where is it? I don't know, I've still never even seen an HD receiver. If as you say AM is dieing, IBOC certainly isn't the answer. Remember when FM's selling point was no static? IBOC is adding much more noise to the AM band to the point of chunks of it are not listenable at all for many people, that certainly can't be good for AM. Joe Sixpack turns on the good old AM to hear the ball game, he looks up and down the dial for his favorite station and hears all these whooshes and buzzes, he thinks one of two things: My radio is broken or this AM band is worse than ever. Then if he's unlucky he finds his ball game under the whoosh of a shiny new IBOC transmitter adjacent to his favorite station, is that good for AM? What's going to happen if this lacky FCC grants the increase in digital power to the FMers? They're going to start complaining too.

Clouseau

 

[Savage]

I say: let the calf have ALL the rope. Crank up FM IBOC digital to 10db. When that doesn't work, crank it up to 20db. Riddle the FM band with self-interference and first adjacent problems. Turn FM into the mess that AM has become after dark. Let the acrimony and lawsuits fly. Let a few smaller stations borrow up to the gills to install a 10db increase and let IBOC lead to a mortgage default or two.

There does exist a certain limit, beyond which you just can't keep forcing bitter, toxic pills down the gullet of the unfortunate patient (in this case, the radio industry being manipulated into a hybrid-digital jerry-built scam.) At some point, uncontrolled, involuntary emesis results.

The sooner we get the mess out in the open for all to see - and hear - the sooner we can start cleaning up, and looking for real solutions for the radio industry.

 

[KB1OKL]

I say: let the calf have ALL the rope. Crank up FM IBOC digital to 10db. When that doesn't work, crank it up to 20db. Riddle the FM band with self-interference and first adjacent problems. Turn FM into the mess that AM has become after dark. Let the acrimony and lawsuits fly. Let a few smaller stations borrow up to the gills to install a 10db increase and let IBOC lead to a mortgage default or two.

There does exist a certain limit, beyond which you just can't keep forcing bitter, toxic pills down the gullet of the unfortunate patient (in this case, the radio industry being manipulated into a hybrid-digital jerry-built scam.) At some point, uncontrolled, involuntary emesis results.

The sooner we get the mess out in the open for all to see - and hear - the sooner we can start cleaning up, and looking for real solutions for the radio industry.

Yes, let them mess up the FM band as they have done to the AM band. I hope with this new election coming soon this bought and paid for FCC (at least the clown on top) gets thrown out on it's ear before they completely screw up everything.

 

[Carmine5]

I say: let the calf have ALL the rope. Crank up FM IBOC digital to 10db. When that doesn't work, crank it up to 20db. Riddle the FM band with self-interference and first adjacent problems. Turn FM into the mess that AM has become after dark. Let the acrimony and lawsuits fly. Let a few smaller stations borrow up to the gills to install a 10db increase and let IBOC lead to a mortgage default or two.

There does exist a certain limit, beyond which you just can't keep forcing bitter, toxic pills down the gullet of the unfortunate patient (in this case, the radio industry being manipulated into a hybrid-digital jerry-built scam.) At some point, uncontrolled, involuntary emesis results.

The sooner we get the mess out in the open for all to see - and hear - the sooner we can start cleaning up, and looking for real solutions for the radio industry.

Yes, let them mess up the FM band as they have done to the AM band. I hope with this new election coming soon this bought and paid for FCC (at least the clown on top) gets thrown out on it's ear before they completely screw up everything.

Chairman Martin has made no secret of his future political ambitions but, no doubt, his tenure at the FCC has given him a first hand taste of the true treachery that is Washington politics.

In one way or another, all these diverse entities, be it the House Commerce Committee, giant media conglomerates like Clear Channel, the satcasters, grass roots localism groups, Ibiquity and the NAB have each taken turns tying cans to Chairman Martin's tail and watched him run down the street. Rather than deal effectively with any of the issues these groups have presented, he's flip-flopped, stalled, rolled over and played dead. He's been the perfect patsy, particularly for giant well-connected media companies.

Then there is the disarray and disharmony within the FCC itself. It's no secret that the agency is badly run, that engineering standards are at an all time low (acceptance of HD Radio is proof of that) and that morale is poor. I have never seen the FCC less sure of itself as I'm seeing it now.

If I could speak to Chairman Martin I would say, "Welcome to Washington. You're still young, still in your 30's. It's not too late to shift careers. You could go in a totally different direction. I know! How about becoming a broadcaster?"

C5