THE FUTURE OF AM RADIO BAND WILL SOON BE DEAD BY THE YEAR 2010

[BobMSmith1959]

What Is Your Prediction???

According what I had heard from awhile back on a radio talk show program from a radio station that I will NOT mention, because I do not want to give out the wrong information on this board.

I do not quite recall when I heard this but it came to mind when I have heard this when I start seeing and hearing commercials about DTV. I am not much of a TV person but I am more of a radio lover than television watcher.

From what I heard that all of the radio stations on the AM frequency band, would be moving to a some type of a FM band frequency, to achieve clearer and stronger radio signals; without causing any interferences from static of electricity or bleed over from other radio stations that are more powerful than other smaller stations.

This talk radio program had said that the FCC had required every single AM radio station throughout the whole nation in the US to move to an FM Band, because the FCC wanted to use the AM band 530 KHz to 1710 KHz for governmental use. In addition, also to use the AM band for like a short-wave band for coast-to-coast broadcasting from the major cities throughout the whole United States and Canada.

Sometime by the year of 2010, AM radio stations throughout the whole nation will go blank; you
Will hear nothing on the AM band, except for certain ones, which will be run by the government.
Moreover, they said on the talk show that the reason why they’re doing this is to avoid sunset rules and interferences from each other.

I may not understand this at all of what is going on here, but it sound like a good plan from I understood from what I am gathering from this radio talk program.


For everyone on this board:

What is your prediction?

What are your feelings about this?

What do you see in this?

 

[davideduardo]

According what I had heard from awhile back on a radio talk show program from a radio station that I will NOT mention, because I do not want to give out the wrong information on this board.

Bad source. Bad info. There is nothing among the FCC releases or formal inquiries about this. Nothing in the trades.

The AM band is not of much use to the FCC, while the frequencies below the current FM band have huge auction value for new technologies. I would say not to worry about this unless an inquiry or proposal for rulemaking is submitted.

 

[ddybas]

There has been some banter between people in the radio business, that daytime only AM stations should get some part of the current TV spectrum to use when DTV takes over in Feb 2009. DTV operates on frequencies different from todays analog TV. I guess the idea is that because the old analog TV channels will be dead, existing AM stations that do not have full time operation can have the frequencies.

But this idea is merely "talk" by the radio station personel and has not been brought up by the FCC for any consideration.

I too, do not see anything changing with the current AM band for quite some time. Inspite of it's problems with static and noise many of the #1 stations around the country are AM stations, so it's still doing well.

 

[DavidKaye]

The AM band is not of much use to the FCC, while the frequencies below the current FM band have huge auction value for new technologies. I would say not to worry about this unless an inquiry or proposal for rulemaking is submitted.

Several years back I wrote to the FCC as the planning for DTV was getting underway. I suggested that TV channels 5 and 6 be allocated to FM broadcast and offered first to AM stations that wanted to move, then to non-comms, and then to new stations.

I received a polite reply thanking me for my correspondence, but not knowing how to take any further steps since I wasn't a party who could profit from it or who would be damaged by it, I wasn't sure where else to go with the suggestion. The FCC doesn't seem to wish to be bothered with comments from interested parties with no axe to grind.

Today I still think the idea is good. If the FCC truly wants to serve the public interest and since existing AM stations are losing audience to FM, it seems that expanding the FM band is a rational use for the discarded spectrum. And after all, TV 5 and 6 require impractical antennas for 2-way.

I figure that TV 5 and 6 would fit about 18 full-service FM stations, which would mean that all SF and Oakland-based AMs could fit into the expanded spectrum.

Comments anyone?

 

[Countrykev]

Oh I wouldn't be so quick to say AM stations are losing listeners to FM in large masses. True, a lot of the younger audiences are not flocking to the band, but if you look at the Chicago ratings 3 AM stations are in the top 10...

That said, it has been discussed about expanding the FM band, but it most likely won't happen. That would require consumers to purchase yet another radio. Even if the FCC decided to expand the band, given the speed that the government works we wouldn't see stations signing on for close to 10 years.

The solution, it seems, for AM daytimers is the current FM translator proposal. A good handful of STA's have already been granted for AM stations to rebroadcast on FM translators and the proposal is just a couple of signatures away from being made into law.

 

[BobMSmith1959]

Lets carry this discussion on the coast-to coast board.

or just click on the link below it will take you right to it....

thank you very much

Bob



http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,108527.new.html#new

 

[DavidKaye]

This is too confusing!

First I saw this thread on the main Radio-Info page. So it jumped to the Chicago board. Fine. Now someone wants to move it to some place called "coast to coast" (which I can't find in the forums list) and along the way it's lost most of its contributors to the thread. It has also lost my rebuttal to the idea that TV channels 2-6 would have to be eliminated for an expanded band. (Only 5 and 6 would be necessary.)

Regardless, I'm now totally lost as to where this thread should be or whether it's even worth my time to read or reply to it.