The Demise of Radio...or is it?

[trusty]

...all AM stations generate at least some radiation at angles which will reflect off the ionosphere. Much effort has been put into developing an "anti-skywave" antenna but one has yet to be built. The signal intensity will vary with power but a 5 KW signal, especially at the high end of the dial, can be very effective over great distances.

Example: the x-band stations that have 1kw night.

 

[taylorengineer]

See this post apocalyptic wasteland happening? yeah...niether do I.

Just remember, there is nothing else ending that isnt something else begining and far to often people seem to equate changing with ending. It's not dead, just different...lets watch, if nothing else it will be interesting.

The whole discussion boiled down to a couple of sentences - well done!!
I totally agree......

 

[gr8oldies]

All great in theory but unless the government is willing to buy all these stations to shut them down, it isn't happening.

 

[gr8oldies]

Try to shut down 1kW minority owned WDAO Dayton OH and see how fast Al Sharpton rides into town

 

[jabba17]

Try to shut down 1kW minority owned WDAO Dayton OH and see how fast Al Sharpton rides into town

But what if the government offered them a LPFM signal as a replacement?

 

[bnaivar]

Try to shut down 1kW minority owned WDAO Dayton OH and see how fast Al Sharpton rides into town

But what if the government offered them a LPFM signal as a replacement?

Imagine the lines for the free, government issued, FM radios.

 

[gr8oldies]

Well, let's see...even with 1kW WDAO covers the city and suburbs. With an LPFM they'd be lucky to cover a portion of West Dayton. Those free FM radios better come inside a cellphone if anyone's going to bother. We have other urban stations here, but it could certainly be argued that WDAO does more public service programming.

 

[KevinFodor]

Well, let's see...even with 1kW WDAO covers the city and suburbs. With an LPFM they'd be lucky to cover a portion of West Dayton. Those free FM radios better come inside a cellphone if anyone's going to bother. We have other urban stations here, but it could certainly be argued that WDAO does more public service programming.

And, quite honestly, with WDAO having a record of service to the community that goes back decades, if anything, I would like to see them get an actual Class A FM license that would, at least cover the entire city of Dayton. Then...and only then...shut the AM down.

There is an LP-FM frequency potentially available that you could squeeze into Drexel...but it's range wouldn't even cover downtown Dayton...nor really all of West Dayton. And, oh yeah - LP's can't air commercials, so there goes the argument entirely.

You see...WDAO got the short end of the stick from new owners who bought it in the 1980's (an FM frequency WDAO was actually on...and carrying about a 10 share at times), and flipped it to A/C selling the calls, the AM Frequency and the "intellectual" property of the station to a former salesperson who has kept the station on the air...and at least reasonably successful with a crappy AM daytime frequency. (The new owners had no desire to run a "black" radio station, apparently.)

If there ever was a potential case to make an exception to the rules, and find a way to squeeze in a station, or take a station on the skids and turn it over to someone, in my view, it's WDAO.

If someone ever tries to remove it from the AM band without a move to FM, I'll be marching behind Al Sharpton...the only time you'll see this white conservative republican doing that!