-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
Shut it all* down (radio) - use OTA (ATSC 1.0) DTV (audio)
- Thread starter kfbkfb
- Start date
But eliminating cost doesn't compensate them for the millions they spent for each license. Just shutting down the transmitter with no compensation means all the money they spent goes up in flames. The cost of operating a transmitter is minimal compared to the millions tied up in the investment of the license.
The only radio stations I'm aware of seeking to eliminate the expense of transmitters are AM stations with FM translators. They'd love to shut down the AM, but the FCC won't let them. Everyone else is fine with the expense of running transmitters.
Also, you make like this is a brand new idea. It's not. Sinclair did this in 2020:
Sinclair Launches First ATSC 3.0 Radio Service In Seattle
Sinclair Broadcast Group has launched the first audio service connected to the new ATSC 3.0 TV standard. "Stirr XT" is
radioinsight.com
At the time, they owned 3 radio stations in Seattle. Those stations have since been sold. Those radio stations have been replaced with music services:
Sinclair & ROXi Are Launching 3 New 24/7 Free OTA TV Music Channels With ATSC 3.0 Nextgen TV | Cord Cutters News
Today, Sinclair and ROXi announced three new 24/7 music channels for your television with ATSC 3.0 Nextgen TV capabilities. These new channels will allow you to interact with these channels in a way you never could before. These new channels are the ROXi Music Channel, the ROXi Music Karaoke...
cordcuttersnews.com
There is no reason for these TV companies to air radio stations when there are other options.
Last edited:
Companies that chose to build and operate radio stations are taking a gamble, if a new tech (streaming) means the radio station concept falls by the wayside, well...that's business, some of the money invested in radio will be lost (I don't think companies that choose to be involved in radio should be compensated if the radio business fizzles out).
I listened to BBC Radio 1 via streaming ("56k" dial-up + Realplayer software) over 25 years ago, this and the iPhone device (+ custom playlists) really signaled the beginning of the end (IMHO) for radio as we know it.
I mention ATSC 1.0 because tuners are in most peoples TVs, "radio" audio as DTV subchannels continues to provide "radio" 'for free.
The Freeview terrestrial DTV system in the UK has provided DTV (audio) subchannels w/BBC and some other radio stations (I don't know how long this has been going on).
Kirk Bayne
I listened to BBC Radio 1 via streaming ("56k" dial-up + Realplayer software) over 25 years ago, this and the iPhone device (+ custom playlists) really signaled the beginning of the end (IMHO) for radio as we know it.
I mention ATSC 1.0 because tuners are in most peoples TVs, "radio" audio as DTV subchannels continues to provide "radio" 'for free.
The Freeview terrestrial DTV system in the UK has provided DTV (audio) subchannels w/BBC and some other radio stations (I don't know how long this has been going on).
Kirk Bayne
But there is no obligation for those TV companies to run traditional radio stations there. As I linked earlier, Sinclair has replaced traditional radio from its ATSC with a host-free interactive music service. You make it sound like these TV companies want to help radio stations make money. They don't. They have other content options.
Sinclair & ROXi Are Launching 3 New 24/7 Free OTA TV Music Channels With ATSC 3.0 Nextgen TV | Cord Cutters News
Today, Sinclair and ROXi announced three new 24/7 music channels for your television with ATSC 3.0 Nextgen TV capabilities. These new channels will allow you to interact with these channels in a way you never could before. These new channels are the ROXi Music Channel, the ROXi Music Karaoke...
cordcuttersnews.com
Then why should they shut down their transmitters? If they wanted to operate internet stations, they don't need ATSC.
Someone who lives in England posted earlier that this has been a failure. See post 15.
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
Okay, so now not only are we talking about the ridiculous concept of TVs in cars but also an endless length of coax?
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
Well, someone had to still be listening at home, right?
But that was for people at home or, in our case, where we stayed for the week.Okay, so now not only are we talking about the ridiculous concept of TVs in cars but also an endless length of coax?
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
And veers significantly from the original discussion.
How was the hotel room?
Are you going to set up a wide screen TV in your vehicle and take up the entire passenger area? 🙄
Back then it was an entire apartment.
A not-so-friendly moderator reminder:
These boards, like the radio hobby in general, attract lots of people who are a little "different" in various ways.
Let's please NOT poke fun at other posters' quirks.
Please keep these discussions about radio, not about other posters on these boards.
Have I made myself clear?
These boards, like the radio hobby in general, attract lots of people who are a little "different" in various ways.
Let's please NOT poke fun at other posters' quirks.
Please keep these discussions about radio, not about other posters on these boards.
Have I made myself clear?
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
On some cars, the "instrumentation" display is already almost that big ...
But someone did say it was ridiculous to "feed" audio from the radio station to a TV station. This has been done on cable systems for decades. My first experience with that was at the beach where they had cable before a lot of places.
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
I think you are overlooking the distinction between over-the-air TV and cable TV. What is being dismissed is the idea of radio stations substituting OTA television subchannels for their existing AM/FM licenses. Cable had nothing to do with it until you brought it up.
Last edited:
This just in: This isn't the 1970s anymore.
What people say that? Kirk, I know you come up with some strange ideas involving antiquities in the past, but this thread takes it to a whole new level.
Are you okay?
No, true cheapskates just turn on the radio already installed in their car, while everyone else wonders why some strange man in a Chrysler K-car is driving around with an operating TV in the back seat.
I'm fine, audio only DTV subchannels seems like a reasonable thing to do, they are doing that in the UK on Freeview (ultimately, maybe only for some of the BBC radio stations though).
Say it costs $x to operate an FM transmitter (everything - land, tower, license, specially trained personnel etc.) and $y to operate a stream of the radio station.
Say also that 80% of the radio station listeners listen to the stream of the radio station, some ads could be made to try to get the streaming number >90% and then the FM transmitter could be justifiably turned off and maybe some of the saved $x could be paid to a DTV station to place the radio station audio on a DTV subchannel, seems like a win-win to me.
The infrastructure to do this is already in place and people are buying suitable radios (in the form of DTVs with ATSC 1.0 tuners - TV is, after all, radio with pictures).
Anyway, I agree with the BBC and CBC forecasts that streaming will replace radio and TV (with their specialized equipment requirements), my idea is to provide free ad supported radio for people who don't want to pay again (e. g., streaming) to listen to commercial radio after radio transmitters are turned off but DTV transmitters are still on.
Kirk Bayne
Say it costs $x to operate an FM transmitter (everything - land, tower, license, specially trained personnel etc.) and $y to operate a stream of the radio station.
Say also that 80% of the radio station listeners listen to the stream of the radio station, some ads could be made to try to get the streaming number >90% and then the FM transmitter could be justifiably turned off and maybe some of the saved $x could be paid to a DTV station to place the radio station audio on a DTV subchannel, seems like a win-win to me.
The infrastructure to do this is already in place and people are buying suitable radios (in the form of DTVs with ATSC 1.0 tuners - TV is, after all, radio with pictures).
Anyway, I agree with the BBC and CBC forecasts that streaming will replace radio and TV (with their specialized equipment requirements), my idea is to provide free ad supported radio for people who don't want to pay again (e. g., streaming) to listen to commercial radio after radio transmitters are turned off but DTV transmitters are still on.
Kirk Bayne
But it's a failure there. Nobody is listening.
You really aren't paying attention to anything anyone has been saying here. You're convinced in your plan. Now if you could only get someone to follow it. Good luck.
If people are still using them and advertisers are still paying to advertise, transmitters wont shut down.
Youre looking for a problem that doesnt exist
- Status