QUESTION ABOUT POSSIBLE AM POWER INCREASES

[Adman4120]

Hello...I hate to ask a question that might sound stupid, but here it is. Since so many Canadian AM radio stations are signing off for good and switching to FM, will that mean that existing United States AM radio stations can increase their poweR, IF, they were protecting any Canadian AM stations?

Will the signing off of these Canadian radio stations also help clear up any interference they may have caused with US radio stations on the same frequency?

I was hoping that a local AM station on 1350 that has to reduce power to 58 watts at night to protect a Canadian station just above the New York Sate border, might be able to increase their night power, since this Canadian station that was also on 1350, has now signed off.

Thanks for your help.

 

[drt]

[quote aUnfortunately, my guess is that it's not that easy to increase the nighttime power of 1350 or any other stations in such a situation.

There are internaltional treaties on some of the freqencies and also another question comes to mind........ and that is, is there another Canadian station waiting in the wings to use that 1350 spot on the dial?

Remember when CBC at 740 in Toronto moved to FM, you had CHWO (which according to MIMO on the Toronto board is about to change call letters) move in on that 740 freqeuncy; so I imaigine both the CRTC and the FCC would have to get involved and approve any such changes.

Keep in mind, though, that I am wrong most of the time, so don't take my word!! as anything etched in stone!

Also keep in mind, since radio listenship goes down drastically after 7pm, 1350 may not even want to consider that option; espicailly if they don't have enough of a profit margin to pay a much high power bill.

drt
Florida
(Canada's southernmost winter province]
--------original message---------------

Hello...I hate to ask a question that might sound stupid, but here it is. Since so many Canadian AM radio stations are signing off for good and switching to FM, will that mean that existing United States AM radio stations can increase their poweR, IF, they were protecting any Canadian AM stations?

Will the signing off of these Canadian radio stations also help clear up any interference they may have caused with US radio stations on the same frequency?

I was hoping that a local AM station on 1350 that has to reduce power to 58 watts at night to protect a Canadian station just above the New York Sate border, might be able to increase their night power, since this Canadian station that was also on 1350, has now signed off.

Thanks for your help.
[/quote]

 

[dampier]

I was hoping that a local AM station on 1350 that has to reduce power to 58 watts at night to protect a Canadian station just above the New York Sate border, might be able to increase their night power, since this Canadian station that was also on 1350, has now signed off.

Thanks for your help.

The CRTC (the Canadian version of the FCC) usually doesn't allow AM frequencies to remain dormant for too long. The major push by CBC Radio One to move off of AM 50kw outlets to a network of a primary urban FM (with a ton of lower powered FM translators) is what most of us across the border have noticed, but there are several Canadian cities where the commercial AM outlets are trying to follow the CBC's lead and head to better sounding (and heard) FM.

In most cases, just because a station abandons an AM frequency doesn't mean that frequency will go unused. In many instances, the CRTC accepts applications from a variety of interests who will place a new station on that frequency eventually. The station can petition to increase power with the FCC, but the FCC will likely consider what the future holds in Canada before they'd grant such a proposal. You can also suggest the station consider doing live Internet streaming, which will at least make their evening programs listenable if 58 watts doesn't cut it, and I can't imagine it would for too far away from the transmitter.

 

[aaronread]

Besides the problems inherent to attempted power increases and the dreaded "Ratchet Rule", the interference protections between the CRTC and the FCC are governed by international treaty, which exponentially increases the time and difficulty in getting anything changed.

Also, I have no evidence of this, but I'd have to think the CRTC is waiting to see what happens with HD Radio in the USA before having any sort of widespread adoption...or any adoption at all...in Canada. Given the potential benefit*** of HD Radio in the AM band, I'm sure they won't just "give up" the protections very easily.

*** YES, I'm well aware of the tremendous detriments of HD Radio in the AM band, too. I'm just saying there are POTENTIAL benefits, so it behooves the CRTC to take a wait-n-see approach before simply allowing all us Yankees to crank up the power on our AM allocations.

 

[caveman-97]

It's been several years since CHOW in Welland vacated 1470. I wonder if WJJL could switch to 1470 and get a lot more power at night.

 

[w9wi]

In most cases, just because a station abandons an AM frequency doesn't mean that frequency will go unused. In many instances, the CRTC accepts applications from a variety of interests who will place a new station on that frequency eventually. The station can petition to increase power with the FCC, but the FCC will likely consider what the future holds in Canada before they'd grant such a proposal.

Actually, the reuse of the ex-frequencies of stations that moved to FM is pretty rare.

Of 193 cases of private stations abandoning AM I count *five* where the AM frequency was reused. (some of these include cases where the AM went dark altogether rather than moving to FM)

Of 22 cases involving CBC stations I find *four* where the AM frequency was reused.

(admittedly it's a bit early to say 1070 Moncton and 1140 Sydney won't be reused - but I rather doubt they will.)

Usually, the frequency is allowed to remain idle. However, as long as it's internationally "notified" the FCC is obligated to protect the facility. And vice-versa: some defunct U.S. stations are still "notified" and must be protected by other countries.

_________________________________________________
The CRTC and Industry Canada are studying HD Radio. They seem VERY disinclined to authorize it on AM - I suspect they will authorize it on FM. Their tendency to permit full-power 3rd-adjacents without distance separation (and 2nd-adjacent LPFMs) will affect their technical conclusions - also the fact that they seem to protect FM stations to a weaker signal contour than the FCC does in the States.

 

[mimo]

CKDO didn't sign off as posted above, they merely moved from 1350 to 1580. In all it was a smart move and has really benefitted them by allowing them to serve the same area at night (and beyond) that they were serving during the day.