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Saving AM Radio

Dondd said:
Local talk is doing very well in Kansas City, KMBZ-FM 98.1 is often in the Top 5 in ratings.
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But it is way lower in 25-54, the broad sales demo range. And it has very high TSL but a cume that is much lower than similarly rated stations.

radioinsight.com

Kansas City

Nielsen Audio PPM Monthly Ratings Kansas City (Market #35) Population: 1,863,700 Black: 250,500 - Hispanic: 205,500 Average Quarter Hour Share
radioinsight.com radioinsight.com
Dondd said:
From what I read online, the station's owners originally (naively) believed simply transferring their all-conservative political programming on 970AM to FM "to reach the younger demos" would make them wealthy.

However, ratings tanked and even fewer younger adults wanted to listen to the narrow programming.
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And they do not listen now, either. Most of the audience is 55 and over, which just a swatch in 45-54 that makes the format "salable" to agencies... if any agencies are buying any polarizing talk format at all.
 
Hyrum said:
You honestly can't hear any stations, except the strongest AM signals against the background noise emitted from every screen, every vacuum, and anything that runs on electricity in or near your home.
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I hear this type of comment repeatedly. With the brief exception of passing trucks and trailers on the highway, or roads that parallel some types of high voltage lines, I never experience unlistenable AM. Maybe I am just lucky, but the Sony portable radio I have in my office - cinderblock construction, florescent ceiling lights, computers and AC adapters everywhere - I can pick up all local stations of all power levels. Turn the radio this way or that, and I can pick up stations 40 miles away, listenable but with some hiss. Maybe if I was in midtown with steel skyscrapers the experience would be different, but the majority of the listening public are located in the type of environment I am in. AM works fine, sounds OK, and in many markets serves up the only mass-appeal programming that is not 24/7 music or NPR.

If the FCC mandates fees from AM broadcasters, and AM invested in infrastructure with the understanding they would have universal access, the FCC should mandate that AM have that access in radios sold in the US.
 
SCMcKinney said:
If the FCC mandates fees from AM broadcasters, and AM invested in infrastructure with the understanding they would have universal access, the FCC should mandate that AM have that access in radios sold in the US.
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That's the thinking behind the bill in congress about AM in vehicles. Even then, it's getting a lot of pushback even on these radio message boards because people don't like government mandates.

The bigger problem is that consumers aren't buying radios anymore. It took a company like Amazon to revive consumer interest in radio-like devices, and even then, it's not a broadcast device. It doesn't matter what the FCC mandates if people aren't buying radios in the first place.
 
Then you have AM stations that are the oddball that is #1 in the county and has been year after year, increasing revenue year after year, but in a small market. Not a heritage station and competing with about 50 signals (3 used to be local FMs including one that was this station's FM but became major market rimshots.). Yes, the station has a translator that really helps as does an app. We do have towns just beyond the translator's reach that listen on AM (which I find amazing since were are full-service music intensive).

Full-service music intensive: local news in AM drive; high school sports, live from major community events, two local PSAs an hour, weather twice an hour, 1 minute ABC News on hour and 1 minute Texas State Network news on half hour. While voice-tracked it is localized and you'd be challenged to say for sure it is voice-tracked.
 
SCMcKinney said:
I hear this type of comment repeatedly. With the brief exception of passing trucks and trailers on the highway, or roads that parallel some types of high voltage lines, I never experience unlistenable AM. Maybe I am just lucky, but the Sony portable radio I have in my office - cinderblock construction, florescent ceiling lights, computers and AC adapters everywhere - I can pick up all local stations of all power levels. Turn the radio this way or that, and I can pick up stations 40 miles away, listenable but with some hiss. Maybe if I was in midtown with steel skyscrapers the experience would be different, but the majority of the listening public are located in the type of environment I am in. AM works fine, sounds OK, and in many markets serves up the only mass-appeal programming that is not 24/7 music or NPR.
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I am glad that you enjoy your Sony portable radio and live close enough to an obsolete AM transmitter that you can hear the broadcast inside your cinderblock box with its annoying florescent lights. I still must question why you twist and turn your AM radio to hear "listenable" signals with that bit of hiss when FM and a million other choices are available. But that's the joy of the American marketplace. You have a choice and are able to use it. Enjoy. Yet, please don't punish the rest of us by insisting that we subsidize AM radio with government insistence that manufactures include it in new production radios. Let the consumer choose.

If the FCC mandates fees from AM broadcasters, and AM invested in infrastructure with the understanding they would have universal access, the FCC should mandate that AM have that access in radios sold in the US. Interesting argument, but it's ridiculous. AM enjoyed 100 years, but it's over. To insist that it be subsided is like insisting that merchants put up hitching posts for horses outside their business. AM owners are free to turn in their license and not pay fees if they are not making a profit. No one is forcing them to continue. I also don't see a line at the FCC door to file for licenses on abandoned AM frequencies. So let's let the marketplace decide. If everyone stops buying radios that don't include AM radio, manufactures will include it. If most don't want it, it will be dropped and FM tuners will be a few cents cheaper/ You can pay extra for the AM portion of that incredible Sony you so much enjoy if you choose to do so. We'll all be happy with our choices without the government forcing the choice upon us It's just better that way. Gotta run now. The hitching post just opened up at 7=11 and I've got to get there before another horseback rider gets in.
 
Amazingly, I discovered I could pick up a station at 1580 30 miles away when the oldies station I liked most of the time switched to a more contemporary sound. The station I used to listen to was in the town 30 miles away, so staying on 1580 didn't seem to be an option. And it does get bad with power lines. It's quite listenable downtown where the power lines are underground. Another station at 630 sounds quite good there, and its oldies are even better.
 
Hyrum said:
We'll all be happy with our choices without the government forcing the choice upon us It's just better that way.
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Keep in mind that the government wouldn't be forcing choice on YOU, but on manufacturers, who are mostly in China. The government is talking about putting big tariffs on Chinese products, but China doesn't pay them. US consumers pay them. So if you want to buy a new radio, the government will be forcing you to pay more for it. The new admin likes consumption taxes, not income taxes.
 
TheBigA said:
Keep in mind that the government wouldn't be forcing choice on YOU, but on manufacturers, who are mostly in China. The government is talking about putting big tariffs on Chinese products, but China doesn't pay them. US consumers pay them. So if you want to buy a new radio, the government will be forcing you to pay more for it. The new admin likes consumption taxes, not income taxes.
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A couple of things. The US government can't force Chinese business to do anything. If they do put big tariffs on those products, you have a right to ignore said product. If you do so, and buy American or other radio receivers, the Chinese will either lower prices to fit competition or cave in to other American demands to have the tariffs lowered. The government IS forcing choice on me if they insist any manufacturer put something I don't need or want into a product. Of course I won't be effected because I'm not one of the eighteen Americans shopping for a new AM radio this year.
 
vchimpanzee said:
This time of year is the only time FM really has anything worth hearing, and even then ...
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Really? Well then you are in luck because in the spring when the marketplace rediscovers AM radio and everyone tunes back in, they'll be doing bang up bucks and no one will have to force any manufacture to include them because everyone will want an AM radio and the marketplace will comply. Or maybe not everyone has the same tastes and the marketplace seems to be choosing AM programming less and less. That's why not much of it is migrating to the FM signals we can hear. I am honestly sorry for that.
 
Hyrum said:
Huh?
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The FCC sees radio as one thing. AM & FM. The ownership rules are completely based around that. You can own 8 radio stations in a market, but you can't own 8 FMs. If iHeart could own 8 FMs, that would completely change the dynamic in NYC or LA.

In a radio market with 45 or more stations, an entity may own up to eight radio stations, no more than five of which may be in the same service (AM or FM).
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Well that explains it. Since big market radio can only own 8 stations but not all on FM, they MUST buy several AM stations to fill out their ownership quota. Or, maybe they could buy the five FMs and not invest in the three AMs that offer limited profit potential and waste the coal generated electricity that makes Greta Thunberg cry. Any relevant AM programming will migrate to FM or elsewhere in the future. Regardless, my thought is that I don't believe we need to be told we must buy a product most of us won't use because, well, if we don't AM radio could die next year (instead of two years for now)

Oh and if the FCC sees radio as only one thing, why do they have that rule about not owning eight stations on one band. It's almost like they see radio as TWO things, AM and FM. But as you've attempted to point out, I must be confused by all this fancy newspeak. I'll just sit back and let the government tell me how to listen to that one entity, radio.
 
Hyrum said:
Well that explains it. Since big market radio can only own 8 stations but not all on FM, they MUST buy several AM stations to fill out their ownership quota. Or, maybe they could buy the five FMs and not invest in the three AMs that offer limited profit potential and waste the coal generated electricity that makes Greta Thunberg cry. Any relevant AM programming will migrate to FM or elsewhere in the future. Regardless, my thought is that I don't believe we need to be told we must buy a product most of us won't use because, well, if we don't AM radio could die next year (instead of two years for now)

Oh and if the FCC sees radio as only one thing, why do they have that rule about not owning eight stations on one band. It's almost like they see radio as TWO things, AM and FM. But as you've attempted to point out, I must be confused by all this fancy newspeak. I'll just sit back and let the government tell me how to listen to that one entity, radio.
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It's just silly to say AM is going to be gone in two years. Tell that to the listeners of WBBM or KCBS or WABC or WLW. I could go on but you won't listen.
We get it. You don't listen to AM. That's your choice but you don't have the right to mock those who do.
AM will still be here in two freaking years,
Period
 
BruceB said:
It's just silly to say AM is going to be gone in two years. Tell that to the listeners of WBBM or KCBS or WABC or WLW. I could go on but you won't listen.
We get it. You don't listen to AM. That's your choice but you don't have the right to mock those who do.
AM will still be here in two freaking years,
Period
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I'm not mocking anyone. I am saying the life of AM is finite and I'm saying that it is stupid to force people to buy radios with and AM band if they don't wish too. I'm also saying that every objection I've read about AM is people trying to preserve the past at a time when it isn't needed. And for every 50K big time WBBM there are a hundred other stations are are simply wasting electricity. AM will be here in two years. Some of them. But one thing is for sure, there will be many fewer listeners, much worse signals as many big stations are moving towers off of expensive land to worse tower sites, and less profit. Since there is no money for innovation it will be difficult to attract new listeners. AM is finished. We can only argue the timeline.
 
Hyrum said:
I'm also saying that every objection I've read about AM is people trying to preserve the past at a time when it isn't needed.
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That may be, but it's not the view of the FCC. It's why former FCC Chairman Ajit Pai came up with something he called the AM Revitalization Program, aimed at assisting AM radio station owners. The incoming FCC chairman, Brendan Carr, talks of the broadcast spectrum (AM & FM) as a "scarce and valuable public resource." They're not interested in preserving the past. What they're trying to do is find value in that scarce public resource for the American people. They can't do that if the people can't access that resource.

You speak of the lifetime of AM as finite, and that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy if there are no AM radios for purchase.
 
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