The Future of AM Radio?

[tomservo]

Although I know full well that XM/Sirius is not an option for everyone--that is, the poorest among us (and therefore doesn't quite --my guess is that satellite-delivered radio has already emerged as a logical choice for those living in such remote areas--perhaps supplemented by the old night-time stand-bys KOA, KKOB, KFAB, WCCO, KGO, KFI...

I think most folks in rural areas these days get their information and news from dialup internet and satellite TV. I don't think even the most remote living folks listen to distant AMs anymore.

The people in the hinterlands today have some access to their "local" stations who are running that syndicated programming because they don't have the budget to cook from scratch. If... that's a big IF... If I were writing the rules and we were going to have super-duper high powered stations, they would be forbidden to fill hours with the crap from the freezer-case (with freezer burns!!!) otherwise known as syndication. If the supers carry the syndication, we have just killed the ability of the struggling rural locals to carry the syndication and sell a few commercials tucked in there.

A second thought: Maybe the super powers should be forbidden to be within metro areas. If their primary purpose is to serve the rural folk of the hinter-lands, how will they know the needs and thoughts of their listeners unless the station and the staff are based in the same circumstances. Can you say Dateland, AZ, or Hayes, KS or Ord, NE?

Y'know, that's an interesting concept, keeping syndicated programming for the smaller stations. I could certainly go along with that. On the other hand, I doubt rural areas could support 50kW AMs. Not only is there the stigma of AM to fight against (even in the country) but also that power bill. Then again, I just checked and immediately found a 100kW class C FM in Hays, so anything is possible.

BTW, it's interesting to note that Hays and Ord are both served by a 50kw (non clear channel) AM, KRVN 880 out of Lexington, NE. The format? Farm.

 

[gr8oldies]

These super power stations are going to pay the power bill how? By having salespeople drive over a 500 mile territory signing up every feed store in sight? Don't think so. There is no purpose for super power AM, except for the Brother Stair's of this world, and that would be the type of programming that would be on them.

Eurpope and other regions are different in the fact that they had large national monopoly networks and needed as wide of coverage as possible. These weren't directed to specific cities.

 

[landtuna]

I drove coast-to-coast last October (mostly along I-40) and was surprised at how silent the AM band is now, especially at night. I didn't keep track but between large cities I don't remember being able to clearly hear more than a small handfull of AM's. FM's, even in fringe areas, were much stronger and more reliable in general (and especially out in the deserts of NM and northern AZ). The few AM's that did come in usually didn't last long and were not particularily interesting to listen to (The Lars Larson Program was one I remember that would put anyone right to sleep).

I think rural and mobile America is much better served these days by satellite radio. I know that would be my choice if I spent large amounts of time on the road.

 

[tomservo]

I think rural and mobile America is much better served these days by satellite radio. I know that would be my choice if I spent large amounts of time on the road.

Judging by the number of Sirius and XM units in 18-wheelers these days, I'd say you're onto something. Even the trucks on Ice Road Truckers have little dash mounted satellite radio units. Although I'm not sure how either service works that far north.

 

[redneckriviera]

Okay, so let's accept the notion that satellite radio has replaced clear-channel AM reception as the standard in isolated rural America. There still may be a public service rationale for providing at least basic level "free" radio service to all Americans, and that could be where a handful of traditional clear-channel AM stations could play a role.

My memory is starting to fade. What are there--116 AM channels? What were there--around 25 1-A clears? And another couple of dozen I-B clears? I know there were 6 Class IV/Local channels. That would leave, what? Around 60 "regional" channels?

Let's lump the locals & regionals together as one service with all stations assigned enough daytime power to serve a non-directional approximate, say, 20-mile circumference (5 mV/m) of the COL and the same power level at night. As an example, the assigned power might be 100 watts on 550 kHz at Colby, Kansas... but 10,000 watts on 1690 at Grafton, WV--with conductivity & frequency factored in.

Then use the same concept to re-allocate the clears. All non-directionals. Give them each, say, an 80-mile circumference (5 mV/m), but vary the assigned power depending on frequency & conductivity. So maybe WABC stays at 50-kw on 770 kHz to cover 80 miles around NYC, but KFAB drops to 10-kw on 1110 to cover 80 miles around Omaha.

Such a shuffle could allow the FCC engineers to minimize interference on the AM band, spread AM service more equitably on a population density basis, and provide local radio service to thousands of smaller communities for whom building (or rebuilding) 3-tower directional rigs is not just cost-prohibitive, but is now downright stupid. One stick. Either 20 miles for the locals or 80 miles for the clears.

Now, tell me why this wouldn't work.

 

[del_griffith]

There is no purpose for super power AM, except for the Brother Stair's of this world, and that would be the type of programming that would be on them.

Even after death, he still lives.

 

[gr8oldies]

Actually wasn't aware he had passed.

 

[12 In a Row]

Okay, so let's accept the notion that satellite radio has replaced clear-channel AM reception as the standard in isolated rural America. There still may be a public service rationale for providing at least basic level "free" radio service to all Americans, and that could be where a handful of traditional clear-channel AM stations could play a role.

My memory is starting to fade. What are there--116 AM channels? What were there--around 25 1-A clears? And another couple of dozen I-B clears? I know there were 6 Class IV/Local channels. That would leave, what? Around 60 "regional" channels?

Let's lump the locals & regionals together as one service with all stations assigned enough daytime power to serve a non-directional approximate, say, 20-mile circumference (5 mV/m) of the COL and the same power level at night. As an example, the assigned power might be 100 watts on 550 kHz at Colby, Kansas... but 10,000 watts on 1690 at Grafton, WV--with conductivity & frequency factored in.

Then use the same concept to re-allocate the clears. All non-directionals. Give them each, say, an 80-mile circumference (5 mV/m), but vary the assigned power depending on frequency & conductivity. So maybe WABC stays at 50-kw on 770 kHz to cover 80 miles around NYC, but KFAB drops to 10-kw on 1110 to cover 80 miles around Omaha.

Such a shuffle could allow the FCC engineers to minimize interference on the AM band, spread AM service more equitably on a population density basis, and provide local radio service to thousands of smaller communities for whom building (or rebuilding) 3-tower directional rigs is not just cost-prohibitive, but is now downright stupid. One stick. Either 20 miles for the locals or 80 miles for the clears.

Now, tell me why this wouldn't work.

For openers, core AM radio demos 55-60+ and mostly male. Give it another 10-15 years and your limited audience is retired or dead.
If you owe KFAB how would you react? This surely would decrease what value might be left to your station.
Putting even more low powered "community" stations on the air? How will they survive?

 

[redneckriviera]

For openers, core AM radio demos 55-60+ and mostly male. Give it another 10-15 years and your limited audience is retired or dead.
If you owe KFAB how would you react? This surely would decrease what value might be left to your station.
Putting even more low powered "community" stations on the air? How will they survive?

If I owned KFAB I'd be Clear Channel and I'd be required to do what the revised rules required. Same as what's happening in Canada now and what has happened a number of times in the U.S.

If you're reference to low powered "community" stations means LPFM, that service has been reserved for churches, schools and non-profit organizations for non-commercial broadcasting. There are thousands of communities throughout the U.S. that could support small commercial stations focused on their community-- since so many have effectively lost their COL stations that have been "moved-in" to the next larger community... or confiscated by EMF, AFA and the other nationally-relayed Christian organizations. K-Love doesn't care about the fire raging through your little downtown...

Demos? Small towns with no local radio don't care about demos. They'd just like to hear the high school football game.

 

[12 In a Row]

If I owned KFAB, I and others would tie it up in courts for many years.

Local AM community radio, been there, done that.

As for broadcasting high school sports, you will have a handful of sponsors and if you're lucky, a handful of listeners.
If your kid is playing in the game, you're there. Except for grandma, nobody else in the community cares.

 

[tomservo]

As for broadcasting high school sports, you will have a handful of sponsors and if you're lucky, a handful of listeners.
If your kid is playing in the game, you're there. Except for grandma, nobody else in the community cares.

I'm not so sure that's true.

If it wasn't important, three of the Birmingham TV stations would't have post-10pm news football shows. Granted in a larger city such as that there were few games on radio (and a few on TV live) but in smaller communities I think it's different.

During football season there were only two or three stations I could pick up in my area (central Miss.) that DIDN'T have H.S. football on; those few stations were all satellite-fed religious outlets and public radio. I believe I counted 29 football "feeds" on FM one Friday night. It was scary. Even our local religious translator and was carrying a football game!

 

[redneckriviera]

If I owned KFAB, I and others would tie it up in courts for many years.

Local AM community radio, been there, done that.

As for broadcasting high school sports, you will have a handful of sponsors and if you're lucky, a handful of listeners.
If your kid is playing in the game, you're there. Except for grandma, nobody else in the community cares.

You definitely sound like an "aginner"--against whatever the topic is--'cause you just know better, dammit.

Sometimes, though, you have to read between the lines--or connect the dots--to get to a nugget of truth.

When it comes to AM, the dots you need to connect are in those islands of success where AM is working, just fine. If the WGNs, the WBZs, the WWLs, the KFIs--and, yes, the KFABs--of the AM world weren't racking up enormous ratings and enormous piles of money, the "AM is Dead" position would work. But they ARE racking up the ratings and the money.

So what's the common denominator?

Programming? Mmmmm, yeah to some degree--though some of the same (network talk) programming doesn't work so well on smaller sticks. All of these stations do a great job with local news & info--that's a legitimate common thread.

But other stations that do a great job with local news & info don't do nearly as well--most often the ones with handicapped signals.

I'll stick with the premise that it's the strong day/night coverage of the marketplace--whether that's a large metro or a smaller city or town. If most of the population can hear it, day and night, an AM can perform as well (or better) than an FM.

Non-directional/one-stick AM stations with the same power/coverage day and night.

Big sticks for big markets. Smaller sticks for smaller markets. Maybe a third level for medium size markets.

One stick stations are much cheaper to build, so the investment threshhold can be held low. A simple allocation system can keep engineering fees down... WAY down. There are new fiberglass AM tower designs with helically wound coils allowing for very short (75 ft) sticks that are inexpensive and make for easy installations and minimal zoning problems. So, yes, small town radio entrepreneurs could afford to take the chance.

It ain't rocket surgery.

But I would agree that if such changes aren't made, most AM stations will bite the dust. So change it.

 

[WTUX]

High school sports, especially football, is bigger in the South than in most other parts of the country. It doesn't work everywhere.

My station used to have no trouble selling football and basketball. Would-be Sponsors would call the station. Instead of beating the bushes, the sales rep would sit at the desk and answer the phone. But after the 80's and the migration of listeners to FM, that changed big time.

And as more and more sports receive increased TV coverage, radio's share is going to drop. High school sports will not help save AM radio.

 

[redneckriviera]

Hey, sorry for using the "high school football" metaphor. It was meant to represent the idea of LOCAL INFORMATION--whether that's governmental news, entertainment, weather--the things you can't get elsewhere, or at least not elsewhere on radio. C'mon, sit back and think for a minute. You'll come up with examples of your own...

The AM band has been screwed up, there's no doubt about that. A lot of the screwing up happened before most of us were born, back in the thirties, forties & fifties when the demand for more stations and the development of directional antenna systems combined to cram in way more stations than the band could comfortably hold. See what's happening to the FM band now? Same thing.

Can that technical suicide be undone? Yeah, actually it can.

I am not suggesting that AM radio will ever rebound to the prominence it had 40 years ago. I am suggesting that it is still a usable band for broadcast communication. But it does need some work.

 

[redneckriviera]

Couldn't resist.

Check the ratings/rankings on these smaller-market AM rigs. All of them 1-kw, non-directionals (one stick), day/night. "Local"/Class IV (whatever their called today)... on 1230, 1240, 1340, 1400, 1450 or 1490.

KFOR, Lincoln, NE
KFRU, Columbia, MO
WDWS, Champaign-Urbana, IL
WSOY-AM, Decatur, IL
WJBC, Bloomington-Normal, IL

#1, #2, #3 in their markets. Many other good examples, but these five are enough to make the point. Look up their ratings on this site or R&R or arbitron.com. Some of these markets are beyond "small town" definition, and all have oodles of FM competition. Now, try to find as many doing as well with, say, a 5k/1k DA-night rig. Needle in a haystack.

There's nothing wrong with AM that getting rid of directionals and reduced night power won't fix--at least in smaller communities.

 

[smedge2006]

Check the ratings/rankings on these smaller-market AM rigs. All of them 1-kw, non-directionals (one stick), day/night. "Local"/Class IV (whatever their called today)... on 1230, 1240, 1340, 1400, 1450 or 1490.

KFOR, Lincoln, NE
KFRU, Columbia, MO
WDWS, Champaign-Urbana, IL
WSOY-AM, Decatur, IL
WJBC, Bloomington-Normal, IL

All of these stations happen to be in midwestern Farm Belt areas where ground conductivity is above average, compared with say, New England, most of the South, and the mountain West. A one-kilowatter's interference free nighttime coverage in one of those areas might be double or triple that offered by a Class C in Athens, Georgia or Burlington Vermont.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

I don't think the poor conductivity in some areas nullifies the logic RNR is making. Maybe in Georgia or Vermont it would be better to have 2,500 watts night and day instead of 1KW.

This also reminds us that like a young man polishing and outfitting his first car with every little accessory he can afford, many broadcasters are "dead in the water" today because they just "went with the flow" for a number of years. How many little stations were planted in the wrong location originally.... back when the town was smaller and the skywave and electrical noise were not as severe. Today the desired land may not be available at any price, and the zoning impossible, but many small AM stations would be more competitive today if the owner had relocated the transmitter 15 or 20 years ago to make sure it was in the center of the population core, and to make sure the location provided maximum signal output. Three years ago I looked at a station built in the wrong location... on top of a rocky mountain because the original owner thought that would provide the best signal. Half a mile away down in the boggy creek bottom would have provided better signal for the same power.

And how many owners could have spent some money on a consulting engineer and shifted to a more favorable frequency for coverage area and night time rules.

I like RNR's logic: full time signal covering your population core and you have a fighting chance, even in today's topsy-turvy world.

 

[country24]

I've seen a lot of good ideas here and some people who don't seem to know much about small towns. (Those of us who live in small towns know a little about big cities because we sometimes go there to shop and often read newspapers and magazines, listen to radio stations and watch TV stations and movies that come from big cities created entirely by people who live in big cities, while people who live in big cities rarely do the opposite.) Here are some of my thoughts.

1. People in small towns will listen to local AM radio as long as they provide plenty of local information. Local news, local weather (especially if there's severe weather in the forcast) and local sports. In a town where there's only one high school, the sports teams don't just represent their school, they represent the whole town, and people are interested. They're even interested in PSA's about local events sponsored by non-profit organizations. Of course the station needs to have a decent signal 24 hours a day.

2. AM stations need to be assigned a coverage area, then allowed to use whatever power needed to cover that area with a non-directional signal. And their signal needs to be protected.

3. A twenty mile radius may be OK in the northeast where towns are really close together, but that's not enough in the southwest where even small towns are often fifty or sixty miles apart.

4. High power stations that serve the hinterland need to be programed by people who know something about small towns and rural areas in general and the area they cover in particular. Air personalities who can't pronounce half the towns in their coverage area, have no idea where the towns are and know nothing about small towns except what they've seen on The Andy Griffith Show or Green Acres are a major turn-off to small town listeners. And small towns are no more interseted in programing that is aimed at metro areas than big cities are in programing aimed at rural areas.

5. It isn't necessary for anyone from those high power stations that serve the hinterland to drive all over their coverage area to service accounts. Most of their accounts are large agribusinesses and retail outlets located in large or medium size towns where people from the surrounding area sometimes have to go to shop. And those few small town businesses who would want to advertise on a big station because they have the potential to draw customes from a larger area than their home town can usually be serviced by telephone or email. Sure personal contact is better, but when that isn't cost effective, you just do the best you can with what you can afford.

6. Part 15 stations need to be allowed more than 100 mw. I'm thinking enough power to cover a ten mile radius. A small market that can support one regular power AM (or FM for that matter) might be able to also support two or three Part 15 stations. Their programming might not win any awards, but they could add some variety to the airwaves. And have the potential to persent a dissenting point of view when needed if the town's only AM &/or FM is run by somone who knows he has the only station in town and acts like it. And those communities with no radio station might be able to support a Part 15.