Number of IBOC stations

[mgpt6]

Any predictions on how many stations will be IBOC by 6/30/2008 or 12/31/2008? Ibuquity lists about 1625 stations converted.

 

[JohnnyElectron]

"Converted" and "in operation" are two different things. There's a local FM that's been on the "converted list" for over 2 years, and yet, not one day of HD-FM yet, if ever, while all the rest of their FMs in the cluster have been on for a year already.

Where's the list of the AM-HD stations stored at? There's still the AM-HD stations that don't operate at night (or in the day).

What is the official 'converted' counted amount for FM-HD and the 'converted' amount count for AM-HD?

 

[R.F. Burns]

"Converted" and "in operation" are two different things. There's a local FM that's been on the "converted list" for over 2 years, and yet, not one day of HD-FM yet, if ever, while all the rest of their FMs in the cluster have been on for a year already.

Where's the list of the AM-HD stations stored at? There's still the AM-HD stations that don't operate at night (or in the day).

What is the official 'converted' counted amount for FM-HD and the 'converted' amount count for AM-HD?

Instead of asking us, if you're really interested either call or e-mail Ibiquity. When they answer your questions you can report back to us so that we all know.

 

[Savage]

A frequently updated and highly detailed report on operating HD-AM stations - much better data than you'll get from the iBiquity site:

www.topazdesigns.com/iboc/station-list.html

Barry has been on vacation for most of February, so the last update (as of this morning's post) is 2/4. Usually his list is updated every week or two.

 

[ve3jf]

A frequently updated and highly detailed report on operating HD-AM stations - much better data than you'll get from the iBiquity site:

www.topazdesigns.com/iboc/station-list.html

Barry has been on vacation for most of February, so the last update (as of this morning's post) is 2/4. Usually his list is updated every week or two.

I'm back - a little less pale and pasty now. There wasn't much updating to do when I returned, since HD-AM has flat-lined.

 

[KB1OKL]

I've had Barry's site bookmarked for months and use it quite often, (he has nothing to sell).

 

[JohnnyElectron]

R.F. Burns wrote: "...e-mail Ibiquity. When they answer your questions you can report back..."

I emailed them Thursday, and no reply yet...

 

[Mike Walker]

Setting AM HD aside (can we, please?), the number of FM stations, while continuing to grow, will no down level out, and the pace slow way down. The reason is that the big corporate owners, the biggest supporters of HD, have largely already converted. Ditto most public radio stations (outside of smaller markets). That leaves medium, and smaller stations and stand-alone operators (or small groups), all of whom have smaller budgets. Convincing THEM to convert will be the real challenge. Not as huge an obstacle (to advancement of the technology) as it may seem, because most of the stations with the largest audience shares have already converted. Again, I'm speaking of FM, not AM!

 

[Savage]

Just wait for the proposed digital injection power increase for FM kicks in.

THAT should bring the adjacent-channel interference complaints to a level comparable with what's been heard about HD-AM. When the Alliance and the NAB start telling RW publicly that adjacent-channel issues should "be tolerable in most cases," you KNOW the the HD Lie Machine has gotten cranked up for a good reason. It's another desperate attempt to lower expectations before the crap hits the wall.

The problem with IBOC is: it's isn't. It's "IBAC." The term "in-band, on-channel" is as much a lie as "HD" is.

 

[R.F. Burns]

Just wait for the proposed digital injection power increase for FM kicks in.

THAT should bring the adjacent-channel interference complaints to a level comparable with what's been heard about HD-AM. When the Alliance and the NAB start telling RW publicly that adjacent-channel issues should "be tolerable in most cases," you KNOW the the HD Lie Machine has gotten cranked up for a good reason. It's another desperate attempt to lower expectations before the crap hits the wall.

The problem with IBOC is: it's isn't. It's "IBAC." The term "in-band, on-channel" is as much a lie as "HD" is.

Bob, you keep talking about interference (and I know your station is suffering) and how the public outcry will be deafening. Well, it must have been so deafening that I am suffering from Rush Limbaugh disease. I haven't heard any listener outcry which all of the anti IBOC contingent keep predicting. By the way, in the crowded NY market there are no commecial first adjacents on FM. Starting at 92.3 Mhz, there's a station on every other channel all the way up to 107.9 Mhz.

 

[Savage]

Better dial back the Oxycontin, RF. ;D I wasn't specifically talking about NYC. There are plenty of short-spaced situations throughout the country which will be affected by an IBOC power increase. In many cases operators have spent tons of dough upgrading rimshots and doing move-ins. They're going to howl if a digital power hike starts chopping their coverage.

Then there is the potential for self-interference with the analog signal; the IBOC power hike would crank up the noise floor on the station's existing main channel. It's just another expression of the "experimental" nature of HD.

The reason there haven't been more HD-AM interference complaints is that the most egregious ones have self-regulated (and there remain a tiny percentage of operating AMs using HD at night - only 79 as of today, or about the equivalent of 1.5 AM stations per state.) Examples? Sure: Citadel's well-publicized nighttime shutdown on 750, 760, and 770 (Citadel appears to be turning HD-AM off entirely on some other properties like Birmingham and Hartford.) CBS isn't using HD because of self-interference problems at WINS & KDKA. CCU turned off WRVA at night to protect the 1130s in Detroit and Milwaukee. There are more, but those are the "lowlights."

 

[R.F. Burns]

Bob, I wish I could contact Mark Olkowski about the WINS issue. I know they were working on installing IBOC there. Funny, WINS is highly directional to the east and its very doubtful that they would cause any interference to KDKA's non D on 1020 Khz. As for KDKA, I had heard that antenna issues prevent them from turning on the IBOC exciter. As for interfernce, KDKA today is barely audible in the NY area. Even WBZ is a much tougher listen today than it was 20 years ago. KDKA would cause no interference to the WINS audience (Their pattern is so restricted being on a Canadian Clear, that WINS is being rebroadcast as an HD2 on WWFS, 102.7 to fill in their spotty coverage to all areas other than the east. I read on another board that in the city of Detroit the HD 2 channel on at least one FM facility is starting to show up in research. In NYC WCBS FM (Jack FM) has started airing commercials.

 

[Savage]

Sorry, RF - I wasn't clear enough in stating what I meant by "self-interference" involving KDKA and WINS. The information I got (through unnamed but reliable CBS sources) is that both stations have antenna issues which are frustrating their efforts to deploy IBOC. WINS apparently has a non-linear common point and a DA system with deep nulls and critical values, and the phasor and feed system would have to be extensively modified to achieve pattern bandwidth and system linearity sufficient to permit HD to work without unacceptable analog self-interference. There is a similar issue with KDKA's stacked "Franklin" NDA antenna, but I hear there is a secondary issue where a tactical decision was made to avoid adjacent-channel noise on WBZ - apparently the latter facility is favored within CBS because it's a bigger, more prosperous market.

 

[JohnnyElectron]

iBiquity reply:

...on the air in 2006 but are having transmitter problems and are only on the air in analog. We're removing the station from our list for tomorrow. Stations are not obligated to tell us their status.

The most up-to-date information any one can give you is our map listing.
It's updated nightly.
http://www.ibiquity.com/hd_radio/hdradio_find_a_station.

Today, there are 1634 AM/FM stations on the air; 262 are AM stations...

 

[Savage]

Those figures do not represent the actual number of operating stations. Those figures are considerably lower. (A big shock given that they came from iBiquity.)

 

[vsa]

Just wait for the proposed digital injection power increase for FM kicks in.

THAT should bring the adjacent-channel interference complaints to a level comparable with what's been heard about HD-AM. When the Alliance and the NAB start telling RW publicly that adjacent-channel issues should "be tolerable in most cases," you KNOW the the HD Lie Machine has gotten cranked up for a good reason. It's another desperate attempt to lower expectations before the crap hits the wall.

The problem with IBOC is: it's isn't. It's "IBAC." The term "in-band, on-channel" is as much a lie as "HD" is.

Bob, you keep talking about interference (and I know your station is suffering) and how the public outcry will be deafening. Well, it must have been so deafening that I am suffering from Rush Limbaugh disease. I haven't heard any listener outcry which all of the anti IBOC contingent keep predicting. By the way, in the crowded NY market there are no commecial first adjacents on FM. Starting at 92.3 Mhz, there's a station on every other channel all the way up to 107.9 Mhz.

If anyone wants to use a new frequency now-a-days, they have to win an FCC auction. Usually, big bucks are involved. IBAC, and its use of new (adjacent) frequencies is actually welfare for the consolidators and publicly-supported broadcasters.

You want to use adjacent channels? Pay for them in an auction!