WBIX apparently testing IBOC

[DanStrassberg]

It has been quite a while since WBIX CE Grady Moates announced that
WBIX would add IBOC once WKOX left the building (that is, the building
at 100 Mt Wayte Ave in Framingham that is home to WBIX's daytime
transmitter, had been home to WKOX's transmitter from the time the
station first signed on in the '40s, and until a year or two ago, was
also home to its studios). Well, WKOX's transmitter has decamped for
the five-tower triplex (with WUNR and WRCA) at 750 Sawmill Brook
Parkway in Newton, and though all three stations there are still
transmitting at less than full power, I have to assume that there is
now enough room at the Framingham site for the additional equipment
required for WBIX to run IBOC. Although WBIX does not appear to have
IBOC on as I write this (Thanksgiving day morning), I am pretty sure
that that was what I heard yesterday (can't recall whether it was in
the morning or afternoon). Since WBIX is third adjacent to WBZ, which
runs IBOC full time, I had the dubious pleasure of hearing contiguous
loud hash on both 1040 and 1050 (not to mention 1020 and 1070). No
telling when Grady will run the next tests, but if you want to know
what the AM band will sound like if this misbegotten technology ever
really takes hold, this is a must-hear;>( Try to restrain yourself
from pitching your radio through a closed window!

 

[DanStrassberg]

Re: WBIX apparently testing IBOC--CORRECTION!

I have egg on my face! WBIX CE Grady Moates called me to let me know
that what I said I heard could not have been caused by any testing of
WBIX's IBOC equipment. That equipment is NOT now connected and never
has been connected. What's more, there is NO current schedule for when
testing of that equipment might take place. We quickly figured out
that what I heard had to be KYW's IBOC sidebands on 1050 and 1070
thanks to daytime skywave. And why was KYW's analog signal not audible
under WBIX's analog signal on 1060? Because the radio's (CC Radio
Plus) AGC cranked the RF gain way up when the radio was tuned to 1050
and 1070, where only the sidebands were present, and way down when the
radio was tuned to WBIX's strong daytime analog signal on 1060. My
apologies for the erroneous report.

 

[N1WVQ]

Don't worry about it! We all make mistakes, but the idea of a 1000 portion of the A.M. dial filled with IBOC scares me. What's more: if WBIX goes IBOC then WCMX-Leominster, W...whatever WADN is now & 1150/WWDJ(?) start up then you have IBOC every 30kc. from 1000-1150! It's going to be wall-wall noise! Damn stupid F.C.C. for allowing this!

 

[DanStrassberg]

Don't worry about it! We all make mistakes, but the idea of a 1000 portion of the A.M. dial filled with IBOC scares me. What's more: if WBIX goes IBOC then WCMX-Leominster, W...whatever WADN is now & 1150/WWDJ(?) start up then you have IBOC every 30kc. from 1000-1150! It's going to be wall-wall noise! Damn stupid F.C.C. for allowing this!

Don't lose a lot of sleep over the possibility of 1120 (WBNW) and 1150 adding IBOC. Armstrong does not appear to be adding to his investment in 1120's facilities. If he were investing in facilities, the thing to invest in would be an improvement in the night signal, which would require changing the configuration of the towers at the E Acton site. More than likely, the neighbors would turn thumbs down. As for 1150, Salem said over a year ago--before its stock tanked--that they were not likely to do IBOC on their AMs in the foreseeable future. Now that the stock is in the dumper, any investment by Salem in AM IBOC seems even less likely. I suppose that if Salem were to sell 1150 to Radio Luz, the Florida outfit that is LMAing the station, it might become a new ballgame, but how likely is that?

 

[N1WVQ]

Great! Now if 1030 & 1090 would go back to stereo that'd be even better! I know, not likely on 1030 for the time being. If someone were to buy 1090 though, maybe.

 

[DavidZ]

Speaking of IBOC, does anyone know if WBZ 1030 and New York’s WINS 1010 turned off their IBOC?

I have been able to get KDKA 1020 from Pittsburgh on several occasions which had been completely obliterated by the 1010 & 1030 IBOC hash until recently.

 

[DanStrassberg]

David Z wrote:
Speaking of IBOC, does anyone know if WBZ 1030 and New York’s WINS 1010 turned off their IBOC?

I have been able to get KDKA 1020 from Pittsburgh on several occasions which had been completely obliterated by the 1010 & 1030 IBOC hash until recently.
-----

As far as I can tell, WBZ continues to run IBOC, but since I'm the guy who made the wrong call on WBIX, maybe you should be skeptical of what I'm saying;>( I suppose it IS possible that WBZ might have reduced the power in its IBOC sidebands to reduce the problem of interference from WBZ to KDKA that has been reported to exist even within the Pittsburgh city limits.

 

[aaronread]

I was able to get a quick blend of IBOC from WBZ here in Geneva, NY a few weeks ago - well after dark...and they usually make the "HD" indicator start blinking after dark as well, so I guess they're still in IBOC. Couldn't tell you about WINS, their skywave isn't great here.

As an aside, it's amazing how well WBZ comes in across most of the Finger Lakes. Shame WTIC 1080 doesn't (not until Rochester, anyways) since they carry the Sox and WBZ doesn't.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

I was able to get a quick blend of IBOC from WBZ here in Geneva, NY a few weeks ago - well after dark...and they usually make the "HD" indicator start blinking after dark as well, so I guess they're still in IBOC.

WBZ is in IBOC with a full six "bars" on my Sangean HDT-1 display here in Somerville.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

What's more: if WBIX goes IBOC then WCMX-Leominster, W...whatever WADN is now & 1150/WWDJ(?) start up then you have IBOC every 30kc. from 1000-1150! It's going to be wall-wall noise! Damn stupid F.C.C. for allowing this!

IBOC costs radio stations a significant chunk of money, between purchase of the equipment and required licensing. Don't expect all that many cash-strapped or low-budget stations or companies to go for it in the foreseeable future.