The Problem with AM Radio

[nmoore6676]

I hold the belief that the Beatles had a lot to do with moving potential AM listeners (pre-teens, teens & young adults) to FM. At least as it relates to popular music, prior to the Beatles, an album was most often an afterthought, basically a hit record + garbage.

When the Beatles came along, every cut was a well written and well executed song. The album rose in importance to the level of the single. You could make a ton of money by selling albums. It then became important to the music industry that all of the cuts on an album were good tunes. Plus, it didn’t take long for popular music people to realize what old people had known for a while. High fidelity is good.

About the same time, stereo swept in. It was the perfect storm for AM, and the beginning of the end.

Young people of the 60's and early 70's began the switch to FM. The generations that followed listened exclusively to FM

When I grew up, AM radio dominated, and the competition for advertising was (not in any particular order)…
1. TV - 3 Networks & if you were lucky, a local independent
2. Magazines
3. Newspapers
4. Billboards & other visual advertising
5. FM
6. Bulk mail

When I grew up, AM radio dominated, and the competition for the listener’s time came from…
1. TV - 1 TV per household. Parents ruled the TV
2. Magazines
3. Newspapers
4. Books
5. Movies
6. FM –Stuffy old FM & it wasn’t in any car
7. At least compared to today, infrequent outside activities
8. An occasional live sporting event

The advertising dollar today is divided so many ways, I won’t even try to list them.

The customer has so many more ways to obtain what he is looking for, be it music, news, whatever.

How many of you even know someone under 25 who turns on a radio other than in the car?

AM radio may linger a while, but listeners and sales revenue with continue to diminish. FM will survive, but will face the same challenges as AM.

If there are “stupid” people running the broadcast empires, it is because “smart” people wouldn’t consider a career in a dying industry.

Oh Dear God, learn some history, man.

The Beatles had nothing to do with it. FM radio didn't take off in most markets until 1975 or later (long after the Fab 4 broke up), though, yes...progressive and top 40 stations were experimented with as early as 1967.

I don't have to learn the history. I lived it, and what I wrote was that young people began the switch to FM throughout the late 60's and early 70's.

It was the Beatles (and others) who helped make a stereo mandatory for most young people. FM was the medium that delivered the over the air version, and yes, it took a while for the full conversion from AM.

During the late 60's and 70's, most of us continued to listen to AM Top 40, while also listening to FM album rock.

I lived it, too. In Dayton, Ohio. (I'm 57..remember?)

And, in this area, Dayton teens in particular were early adopters to FM, but the Beatles had nothing to do with it.

Here, the reason was WDAO-FM, which signed on the air in 1964. Their meld of both R & B and Motown crossovers brought a large number of black and white Dayton teens to FM far earlier than happened in a lot of markets. I didn't make this up. Bill Struck, then Program Director of Top 40 formatted WTUE-FM told me in an interview a couple of years ago that WDAO-FM was one of the reasons why TUE took off much faster than expected. Many teens were already listening to 'DAO in 1967 and beyond...then, when WONE-FM began to switch to Top 40 rock, then WVUD to "progressive", there were more choices for the teens...who told their friends, and the rest was history.

In Cincinnati, teens began to awaken to FM around 1970 or so with the automated WWDJ (and a couple others)...but it was really the breakout of Q-102 and WEBN that brought them to the forefront. I know. I grew up in southern Montgomery County. I listened to both markets. And listened to WING and WSAI growing up in the 60's. I was a little younger than the teens of the 60's, but I was listening to 'DAO, WWDJ, TUE and VUD by 1970 or so...and the Cincinnati stations within a year or so after that.

Many radio textbooks today show FM's growth exploded nationwide in the middle to late 1970's.

Dislike the Beatles all you want, but there's little actual evidence to suggest your theory is true.

My era of teens here moved to FM not so much because of stereo, but because of its better sound quality. The Beatles had nothing to do with that. Stereo was a nice extra, but I had already heard it shortly after I starting buying records and wondered why some albums cost a dollar extra than other versions of the same album.

And, by the way, WDAO's big signal also blanked much of Cincinnati, and touched the fringes of Columbus...so its impact there may also have played some part.

WDAO had a lot to do with this kid from Springfield adopting FM. I had already built an EICO FM tuner when WBLY went back on FM in 57 or 58. Then came WDAO and WBLY had gone to stereo too so I got a plug in adapter, my tuner had a jack in the back for it. But wasn't there also WTUE. I am not sure exactly that timeline. Kids weren't too much into WHIO-FM which played mostly elevator music.

Also there was WPFB from Middletown on FM. Then later WHBM in Xenia and other FMs like WCOM in Urbana so our area was in the forefront of the transition for many reasons. I also recall putting FM adapters into the cars of my friends, I was the local tech guru, still am.

 

[Mike Sheridan]

Man, i can remember finding FM as a kid. The early days, reception was horrible. We had a 63 Bonneville and the FM portion of the radio was horrible and then broke. In 70 or 71 i put together my first FM Rig. Separate tuner, amp, etc.
Set up speakers along one wall in my room. The only tech advancement that almost was as exciting to me was HD TV.
But, for me, FM was huge.
Then, my first real radio job (1982) was for an FM in Detroit. In fact, when i was offered a management position with another group, the station was an AM and i was actually hesitant to go as i had been spoiled working at an FM station. That was 1984.
That experience was great and calmed my fears about AM.

FM came into it's own at different times in different markets. I believe Miami was early to adopt FM. Part of that might be large area stations need to cover and the lack of a really dominant AM signal. When Top 40 made it to FM in Miami in 1970 it was all over for the AM rockers. The FM's came in with big money contests and lots of excitement, other formats were getting traction on FM there too. The sound compared to AM was just so good.

Any AM station without a viable heritage is just not going to make it. I can't think of very many "new AM's" that have been successful. It's a very tough uphill battle if you haven't already made it.

The trouble is I enjoyed FM before it got so popular. There was more experimentation, fewer commercials and more chances of being surprised by what was coming out of the speaker.

Let me also add I miss the full service AM stations with popular music-news-sports presented by professionals.

Lots of great posts here!

 

[alans613]

Back when I started listening to FM in the mid-80s in Springfield/Dayton, you had WDAO(Later WWSN), WTUE, WHIO-FM(Which broadcast Reds games in crystal-clear Stereo), WVUD, WYMJ, WAZU and WGTZ, Z-93. Believe it or not, being a youngster, I listened to all of those stations at one time or another. I also listened to 700 WLW, 1340 WIZE, and 1290 WHIO. I would flip back and forth between AM and FM quite a bit as a kid. 8)

 

[Cincinnati Kid]

WHIO-FM(Which broadcast Reds games in crystal-clear Stereo)

When did WHIO-FM carry Reds' games? I first got an FM receiver in early 1961 and started listening to WHIO-FM not long after that. I never remember Reds games carried on that station. I know WHIO-AM did from the 1950's into the 1990's and WPFB-FM (105.9) in Middletown was a part of the Reds network from 1966 to about 1971 (and, in fact, fed other stations on that net). Could you provide some further information, approximate years, etc. Thanks.

 

[KFodor]

WHIO-FM was a beautiful music station from its inception in 1949 until 1989, when it became
K-99.1 FM. I can't imagine they ever carried the games, unless it was. maybe for a short time in the early 60's. I'm sure after that there's no way they would have interrupted the elevator music for a ball game. The beautiful music format was a real cash cow for them. WHIO-FM was the #1 station in town by virtue of an extremely limited commercial policy...Even in the early 1970's, it was in the mid-teen shares 12 plus. (I have a 15.7 average for 1975 here.)

WHIO-AM did carry the Reds for many years. In fact, Reds games on the station were one of my earliest impressions of it back when I was, like 7 or 8 years old back in the 60's.

 

[the marv]

One good thing is when WHIO made the switch to Country music as WHKO they never had to look for another format to switch too since they ruled the rating there. Here in Columbus our longtime easy listening station WBNS 97.1 did not follow that Idea. That station has switched 3 times since 1991. Oldies 97.1, Mix 97.1 and now 97.1 The fan. If they would have went country in 91 instead of battling WCOL in the oldies format they would never had to look back and WCOL would not be the country ruler of C-bus today.

 

[markbohach]

One good thing is when WHIO made the switch to Country music as WHKO they never had to look for another format to switch too since they ruled the rating there. Here in Columbus our longtime easy listening station WBNS 97.1 did not follow that Idea. That station has switched 3 times since 1991. Oldies 97.1, Mix 97.1 and now 97.1 The fan. If they would have went country in 91 instead of battling WCOL in the oldies format they would never had to look back and WCOL would not be the country ruler of C-bus today.

This presumes a lot of 'ifs'. Had WBNS gone country in Columbus in the early 90's would they have a solid programming strategy like Cox has consistently displayed? Would their OSU committments have skewed their country ratings. Would the upscale Wolfe family tolerate playing 'hillbilly' music. Let me remind you that 99.7 was a 50kw in town stick that flirted with country for three years in the 80's. It takes staying power to hold a country station together through the thick and thin of the format. K99.1 has it. B105 in Cincy has it. WHOK 95.5 had it for 50 years until the current owners took over.

 

[KFodor]

A little more to the WCOL/WBNS story. I know. I was there.

I was told originally, (from a couple of sources) the WBNS Board Of Directors did not want to consider country in the early 90's. They preferred oldies because, so I was told, "they liked oldies". And, they considered that Great Trails Broadcasting, which had a history of changing formats at the drop of a challenge with its Columbus properties would be easy pickings, thinking that if they came on the air and threw some money around, GTB would fold.

They figured wrong. The management at Great Trails hired Critical Mass Media as its consultant, who explained that in oldies battles, where programming is equal, "first one in...usually wins". Added to it, WCOL had the heritage card...its call letters and the memory of the top 40 powerhouse that 1230 was in the 60's with locals placed WCOL-FM in a unique position. It could win a battle if it played its cards right. So, GM Bill Cusack (a U.S. Marine) sent PD Michael Cruise to an Army Surplus Store and bought all kinds of station decorations, including fatigues for the staff, fake grenades and missles, netting (which we draped across the control room ceiling), and "General Cusack" and Critical Mass Media (headed by...you guessed it, Randy Michaels) took WCOL to "war"...and won.

Well, sort of anyway. We won well enough and lasted long enough for GTB to sell the station to Nationwide. Nationwide had no objection to the oldies format, but wanted to make the most money possible, did a format finder and found country to be a huge, exploitable hole in the market. Nationwide filled it, spared no expense (we had, literally, an unlimited budget in the first 6 months of operation as a country station) and the station performed as advertised.

I was told by 2 different "someones" at WBNS...that during the period of time while Nationwide was making up their minds what to program, that 'BNS had decided whatever WCOL did, they would do the opposite. If we stayed oldies, they'd go country. If we did country, they'd stay with oldies. And now you know.

The suggestion as to what the strategy might have been had WBNS gone country in the early 90's is a valid one. They could have had a dynasty if they had done it right. Whether that would have happened...who knows?

 

[KFodor]

You know that old saw about " If you don't understand history you are doomed to repeat it"? Most if not all the blogers here fail to realize that the demise of AM began in the late 60's and into the 70's not because of some altruistic decision by owners to begin developing their FMs but rather because the FCC adopted a rule that you couldn't duplicate more than 25% of your programing on the same AM and FM.

Owners began producing new formats not available before that time such as Progressive Rock, Alternative rock, Modern Country, Classic rock etc. Don't think for a minute that big broadcasting has ever advanced without a nudge from government.

Only one correction, Ellen, that FCC decision happened in 1965.

 

[KFodor]

And, for you AM fans...

Mark Bohach is an example of a small town radio operator who knows his stuff, and has kept his station afloat and profitable. His success was helped by the fact that the FM in town abdicated the local area (to chase WCOL's tail fairly unsuccessfully under, well, a number of owners, but did OK as a #2 country choice), but Mark has made a lot of smart decisions. And you can still do that in Lancaster, Ohio with an AM even today. But even he, I believe has entered the world of FM translators and good for him.

Only he knows well, (and he's reflected it on these boards before) the long hours, blood, sweat & tears that have been shed getting it there. But I think even he might tell you he would face a daunting task, if he had to try to crack a portion of the market as a "Columbus" station with either his present signal, or one of the lesser signaled Columbus AM's.

No argument that there are still AM's in certain specific situations that succeed. But whether you can, or should try to make one do that is literally a case by case situation these days. Some can if, like Mark, you have an identifiable market and the commitment to make it work. Others? You might be well considered to save your money.

 

[markbohach]

And, for you AM fans...

Mark Bohach is an example of a small town radio operator who knows his stuff, and has kept his station afloat and profitable. His success was helped by the fact that the FM in town abdicated the local area (to chase WCOL's tail fairly unsuccessfully under, well, a number of owners, but did OK as a #2 country choice), but Mark has made a lot of smart decisions. And you can still do that in Lancaster, Ohio with an AM even today. But even he, I believe has entered the world of FM translators and good for him.

Only he knows well, (and he's reflected it on these boards before) the long hours, blood, sweat & tears that have been shed getting it there. But I think even he might tell you he would face a daunting task, if he had to try to crack a portion of the market as a "Columbus" station with either his present signal, or one of the lesser signaled Columbus AM's.

No argument that there are still AM's in certain specific situations that succeed. But whether you can, or should try to make one do that is literally a case by case situation these days. Some can if, like Mark, you have an identifiable market and the commitment to make it work. Others? You might be well considered to save your money.

Thanks Jason for the kind words.

Yes- WLOH has two full power translators- one that covers Lancaster and one that covers Logan. Each is good for city grade over most of the population of each city and a 10 or so mile radius of decent coverage.
A coverage map can be found on our webpage- www.wloh.net

However, from 2005 to 2010 when we were able to add 104.5 FM, (99.3 Logan came in 2011) we were a true standalone AM station that either had to make it or break it with the conditions we were handed. I distinctly remember telling my wife in 2006 about the possibility of the FM translator change. And I remember saying that it would be a long time and even if the rules were changed, it may still not happen for us. Basically, we weren't waiting around for it to happen. We just kept plowing along making our AM station sound as good as possible.

If you go back to 2006 and read the FCC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on allowing AM's to use FM translators, you will find comments used by the FCC from myself and my wife that helped win the case. In these comments I specifically mention high school sports and the attendant problems of powering down to 16 Watts in the middle of a football game.

In my comments, I promised the FCC that if we were allowed to utilize a translator, I would add additional high school sports coverage. In the Fall of 2010, with 104.5 on the air, we added a delay broadcast game on Friday nights after the live game.
Since then, we have continually looked at what other local events we should be involved in. This fall, our high school football
pregame show expands by a half hour so we can feature the local marching bands.

Jason, you are correct about defining our local area as 'The Hocking Valley'. Whenever a program syndicator or agency weasel
lumps us into the Columbus MSA, my blood boils. I want no part of Columbus. There are too many joke rimshots out there
already.

mb

 

[jry]

And, for you AM fans...

Mark Bohach is an example of a small town radio operator who knows his stuff, and has kept his station afloat and profitable. His success was helped by the fact that the FM in town abdicated the local area (to chase WCOL's tail fairly unsuccessfully under, well, a number of owners, but did OK as a #2 country choice), but Mark has made a lot of smart decisions. And you can still do that in Lancaster, Ohio with an AM even today. But even he, I believe has entered the world of FM translators and good for him.

Only he knows well, (and he's reflected it on these boards before) the long hours, blood, sweat & tears that have been shed getting it there. But I think even he might tell you he would face a daunting task, if he had to try to crack a portion of the market as a "Columbus" station with either his present signal, or one of the lesser signaled Columbus AM's.

No argument that there are still AM's in certain specific situations that succeed. But whether you can, or should try to make one do that is literally a case by case situation these days. Some can if, like Mark, you have an identifiable market and the commitment to make it work. Others? You might be well considered to save your money.

True, true!
Local and relevant. Connected with his audience.

 

[KFodor]

Jry:

However, try and take that signal challenged AM in a larger market and throw a ton of money at it with local programming and, like the commercial for a hair growth product says, "your results may vary". And that's how you boil the problem down today. WLOH is a specific station in a particular market area...far enough away from the bigger city to be a "local voice" and able to create a marketing area all its own. It will survive because of the smart management of its owner, who also has been quick to take advantage of FM translators to give his station a 24/7 presence in his home marketing areas.

It would not be as successful with say, a WPFB-AM in Middletown, I think, because there's more than enough radio signals that cover the local news in that area. That does not mean that station couldn't be brought back...but it would be a much iffier proposition, especially without an FM translator presence.

 

[nmoore6676]

Jry:

However, try and take that signal challenged AM in a larger market and throw a ton of money at it with local programming and, like the commercial for a hair growth product says, "your results may vary". And that's how you boil the problem down today. WLOH is a specific station in a particular market area...far enough away from the bigger city to be a "local voice" and able to create a marketing area all its own. It will survive because of the smart management of its owner, who also has been quick to take advantage of FM translators to give his station a 24/7 presence in his home marketing areas.

It would not be as successful with say, a WPFB-AM in Middletown, I think, because there's more than enough radio signals that cover the local news in that area. That does not mean that station couldn't be brought back...but it would be a much iffier proposition, especially without an FM translator presence.

Quite true, when I lived in Los Angeles stations like KABC and KFWB, running the same formats as the 50KW giant KFI just are struggling. I don't think that even if one of them could somehow obtain the KFI lineup they could do as well with a mere 5KW.

 

[jry]

Jry:

However, try and take that signal challenged AM in a larger market and throw a ton of money at it with local programming and, like the commercial for a hair growth product says, "your results may vary". And that's how you boil the problem down today. WLOH is a specific station in a particular market area...far enough away from the bigger city to be a "local voice" and able to create a marketing area all its own. It will survive because of the smart management of its owner, who also has been quick to take advantage of FM translators to give his station a 24/7 presence in his home marketing areas.

It would not be as successful with say, a WPFB-AM in Middletown, I think, because there's more than enough radio signals that cover the local news in that area. That does not mean that station couldn't be brought back...but it would be a much iffier proposition, especially without an FM translator presence.

Good, solid, analysis.....

 

[jry]

Jry:

However, try and take that signal challenged AM in a larger market and throw a ton of money at it with local programming and, like the commercial for a hair growth product says, "your results may vary". And that's how you boil the problem down today. WLOH is a specific station in a particular market area...far enough away from the bigger city to be a "local voice" and able to create a marketing area all its own. It will survive because of the smart management of its owner, who also has been quick to take advantage of FM translators to give his station a 24/7 presence in his home marketing areas.

It would not be as successful with say, a WPFB-AM in Middletown, I think, because there's more than enough radio signals that cover the local news in that area. That does not mean that station couldn't be brought back...but it would be a much iffier proposition, especially without an FM translator presence.

Quite true, when I lived in Los Angeles stations like KABC and KFWB, running the same formats as the 50KW giant KFI just are struggling. I don't think that even if one of them could somehow obtain the KFI lineup they could do as well with a mere 5KW.

Don't forget the importance of dial position and tower location. In Detroit there is a 1270 that WAS 5KW in the center of the market. Now, they are 50KW but shooting it from the south with a strange pattern. They've lost part of the market. I took a "600" that was 1KW and changed the tower location and pattern. Dropped over 500 watts of daytime power as well. It covers a lot better and due to placement, there are no longer holes and nulls in the market.
Lots of variables, to be sure.

 

[programmingrus]

WSAI and WCKY are in full simo cast mode...Both ESPN as of saturday..Thanks CUMULIS no imagination.

 

[almaniac27]

WSAI and WCKY are in full simo cast mode...Both ESPN as of saturday..Thanks CUMULIS no imagination.

Well...I... http://i.imgur.com/0VTe43T.gif

 

[DJJack1]

Clear Channel owns both those stations.

 

[BobOnTheJob]

WSAI and WCKY are in full simo cast mode...Both ESPN as of saturday..Thanks CUMULIS no imagination.

Well...I... http://i.imgur.com/0VTe43T.gif

A small point but the correct term is "Simulcast" which is a combination of Simultaneous and Broadcast. At 11:44AM, 1360 and 1530 are NOT airing the same thing.