what happened to the am band lol

[daddyoo]

I had to laugh hysterically today and share this experience, unless I'm living under a rock and lost touch of T-radio and honest no harm or disrespect but I was sitting in the parking lot in the Moorestown Mall in New Jersey today around 3:00 dropping my friend off and waiting for him to finish his business, so to kill time, I tried out the AM dial, which I seldom do. I went one digital number to the other from 520 to 1710 on my revamped 2021 Ford Explorer no HD on this one, not worth it, nothing to really listen to, could only get it on the titanium model, I could not believe 50% of the signals were Spanish lmao and we are talking over 40 stations, I did not stop and get any info, just went to the next dial number. What happened to radio, I mean ages ago you might have only a few outlets in European tongues. I swear, if I didn't know I was in America I would of thought I was in a Spanish speaking country, it made my day, very hilarious, wonder how long there will be no English dialect on the AM band and half of the FM band.

 

[Mikey Radio]

Probably lots of factors. Many on this site have stated that, in some cases they wouldn't take an AM off your hands if you gave it to them, at least in some markets, as they're difficult to operate financially. Others have stated the only real reason to have the AM on the air is so you can keep the FM translator going. Also, there are some Spanish broadcasters out there with $$, so if they see a station for sale at a resonable price and there isn't much interest from other parties, they snatch them up.

 

[davideduardo]

And... most of those Spanish voices are religious as no commercial station that wants to appeal to anyone under 50 can survive unless the AM is needed to get a translator. The average age of Hispanics in the US is more than a decade younger than the non-Hispanic white population, and that group will not listen to AM unless it is a last resort or in a market with no Spanish FM.

Also keep in mind that there are now about 50 million Hispanics in the US, with around two thirds of that group being Spanish speaking only or bilingual.

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

This racism again?

 

[ksradiogeek]

I had to laugh hysterically today and share this experience, unless I'm living under a rock and lost touch of T-radio and honest no harm or disrespect but I was sitting in the parking lot in the Moorestown Mall in New Jersey today around 3:00 dropping my friend off and waiting for him to finish his business, so to kill time, I tried out the AM dial, which I seldom do. I went one digital number to the other from 520 to 1710 on my revamped 2021 Ford Explorer no HD on this one, not worth it, nothing to really listen to, could only get it on the titanium model, I could not believe 50% of the signals were Spanish lmao and we are talking over 40 stations, I did not stop and get any info, just went to the next dial number. What happened to radio, I mean ages ago you might have only a few outlets in European tongues. I swear, if I didn't know I was in America I would of thought I was in a Spanish speaking country, it made my day, very hilarious, wonder how long there will be no English dialect on the AM band and half of the FM band.

So it somehow offends you if there’s a lot of Spanish language AM outlets? It’s 2021. Hispanic Americans are the largest minority group in the US, it’s about time radio catches up with that fact.

 

[davideduardo]

So it somehow offends you if there’s a lot of Spanish language AM outlets? It’s 2021. Hispanic Americans are the largest minority group in the US, it’s about time radio catches up with that fact.

But... 50% on average of all Hispanic radio listening is to general market radio stations.

In some markets it is even more extreme. In Albuquerque Hispanics are more than half the market, but well under 10% of listening in ABQ goes to Spanish language stations. In San Antonio it is similar.

 

[ksradiogeek]

But... 50% on average of all Hispanic radio listening is to general market radio stations.

In some markets it is even more extreme. In Albuquerque Hispanics are more than half the market, but well under 10% of listening in ABQ goes to Spanish language stations. In San Antonio it is similar.

I’m not arguing with you there, David. You’ve been in this business a lot longer and have way more experience than I have.

My point is to the OP that seems to take issue with a supposed “invasion” of Spanish language radio stations that are taking “prime radio real estate” away. I’m open to hear any further explanation on why this is an issue.

 

[MarcB]

On Saturday the Walmart Radio Network was doing a Hispanic Music countdown during the 1PM hour. My store has speakers on the outside of the building and the music can be heard in the parking lot. I heard a lot of customers complaining because Walmart was playing Spanish Music. I'll bet the OP would've been one of the customers complaining about it.

Meanwhile while listening to the customers complain about that non-issue I was trying to think of a way to hack the intercom and play one of our local Spanish CHR stations over the intercom from my phone and how to do it without getting fired. Yes I have a devious mind. And several of my coworkers agreed with my idea.

 

[landtuna]

Here in the Southwest Spanish has been part of our culture (White Americans, that is) for a century or more. I see nothing wrong with having another language present in our country. It has been common in certain Asiatic and European countries for a long time. No one, except possibly the French, seem to mind. I don't mind either. Most of our landmarks are already named after Hispanic or Native American people, events or places. It does not diminish America.

 

[daddyoo]

Funny, that you all are the same ones complaining that the dial is flooded with English speaking Christian or Jewish religious signals or right winged talk but in the same breath embrace Spanish language, God forbid if the band was loaded with German, Italian, Polish French, Russian or any language other than Spanish, you would all be in DC now, facts are facts...and there is nothing racist in my post EAGLE 106....

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

Is there a Gunsmoke rerun on?

Still looking for the post where someone mentioned a complaint about the dial “flooded” with English speaking Christian or Jewish stations. Oh wait, that didn’t happen. Nor did someone invoke conservative talk. Nor express concern about Polish, Russian, French, Italian, German or other language programs.

There was, however, one person who might benefit from a new hobby who complained that the number of Spanish language stations or programs (a supposed half) would indicate being a Spanish-speaking country, what with the lack of “English Dialect” on one particular audio source. (And who actually writes about the lack of an English dialect and European tongues? Was the Congressional Anglo Saxon caucus doing research on radio?)

It’s 2021. Might be time to join the modern era.

 

[kenglish]

The reason I miss the old days of shortwave, is because I love to hear music and voices from so many cultures.
Working in broadcasting, I knew I could never do a lot of international travelling, but I could close my eyes and dream.

 

[JBraddock]

This racism again?

Only one person in this thread mentioned racism.

Is there a Gunsmoke rerun on?

Still looking for the post where someone mentioned a complaint about the dial “flooded” with English speaking Christian or Jewish stations. Oh wait, that didn’t happen. Nor did someone invoke conservative talk. Nor express concern about Polish, Russian, French, Italian, German or other language programs.

It's a language barrier. I marvel at people from other nationalities who learn English quite well as a second language, while I can barely say a few words in French, which I studied in grade school (lack of usage for years makes it nigh impossible to remember). I also tried to master rudimentary Portuguese when I was traveling to Brazil, but could never get past a few necessary phrases. Some brains just aren't wired for multiple languages unless you start very young.

It’s 2021. Might be time to join the modern era.

I don't know about that. The 'modern era' is often too much about intolerant navel-gazing and less about studying and understanding events and people in the context of history. Broadening horizons is challenging, but can be rewarding. It does come with some discomfort though, causing some to question their certainty about things they "like" and "know" so well.

 

[davideduardo]

Here in the Southwest Spanish has been part of our culture (White Americans, that is) for a century or more. I see nothing wrong with having another language present in our country. It has been common in certain Asiatic and European countries for a long time. No one, except possibly the French, seem to mind. I don't mind either. Most of our landmarks are already named after Hispanic or Native American people, events or places. It does not diminish America.

I was going to simply give you a heart, but then I did want to say that the integration... sometimes less kind than other times... of different peoples has been the core of the American nation. 250 years ago, the alliance of colonialists with the French allowed our independence; that was a time when nations in Europe could be truly mortal enemies.

Nonconformists or dissidents from England, Holland, France and other European nations found an opportunity in America. After the War of Succession, Germans, Italians as well as more Irish, British and other Europeans fled the conflicts and poverty in their homeland.

In the meantime, Swedes and Norwegians quietly populated the upper Midwest where the winters made them feel right at home and the fertile lands were vastly more productive.

After The Great War, displaced Europeans of all nations began arriving with huge Polish communities being examples of that migratory period.

Jews from all over Europe found, despite original rejections, refuge in the US.

And all along, the involuntary relocation of prisoners from tribal warfare and conquests in Subsaharan Africa brought millions of people to the US as slaves. And the expansion of territories to include Florida and much of the West and Southwest brought a Spanish influence and culture to the mix.

Native Americans were all to often seen as an annoyance, to be shuffled around the new nation at the convenience of the conquerors. While those had been the common and normal procedures of conquest going back to earliest societies, it certainly invalidated the idea of America being a land of freedom for all.

As you say, accepting the Spanish and Mexican cultures in the Southwest does not diminish the national character. But the fact that, still, many object to this and are openly bigoted and biased, shows that we are not there yet. But what other nation, other than our neighbor Canada, has ever tried to thrive with a never-ending blending of cultures, races and beliefs?

 

[CTListener]

Funny, that you all are the same ones complaining that the dial is flooded with English speaking Christian or Jewish religious signals or right winged talk

Jewish religious signals? Really? All the religion I hear on my radio here in Connnecticut is various shades of Christianity.

 

[daddyoo]

My mom was of Cuban decent, dad was Italian, moms grandparents came to New Orleans at the turn of the 20th century 1910, from Santa Clara, Neocolonial Republic, the way they were treated by the Irish in NO was horrible, mocked and outcast ed, look up the NO hangings, They spoke no English, had to learn the American way or they could not survive. No TV or radio in Spanish, nothing to help them, so my point is, the Hispanics coming into America nowadays have it great, compared to my ancestors with all the signals in Spanish, everyone should learn and adapt to English the way my ancestors did, Spanish was our second language not our first, same with all ethnics living in America, English first...case closed...

 

[davideduardo]

Funny, that you all are the same ones complaining that the dial is flooded with English speaking Christian or Jewish religious signals or right winged talk but in the same breath embrace Spanish language, God forbid if the band was loaded with German, Italian, Polish French, Russian or any language other than Spanish, you would all be in DC now, facts are facts...and there is nothing racist in my post EAGLE 106....

Who said that? Nobody.

This started with an observation that a lot of fringe or secondary AMs around Philadelphia had Spanish language programming and it was mentioned that this is a product of the decline in AM in general and the profusion of Spanish speakers who could buy or rent those "downtrodden" stations, despite tiny audiences.

For decades, Chicago had multiple Polish stations as well as Polish programming on brokered small or suburban signals. Nobody objected. In the early 60's, two of the first independent FMs in Cleveland had blocks in Greek, Polish, Italian and many other European languages. In fact, one of my first radio jobs was running the board for a Cleveland r&b station that sold Sunday mornings for shows in German, Polish, Hungarian and a half-dozen other languages.

Nobody objected.

LA today has stations in Vietnamese, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, Tagalog, Farsi, Armenian as well as Spanish. And there are brokered stations with blocks in Japanese, Thai, Hindi, Bengali and others.

Nobody seems particularly upset about that, either.

Most parts of the US are over-radioed. The only positive result is that many smaller groups can be served by stations with lower power and coverage to the extreme benefit of the community at large.

 

[davideduardo]

Jewish religious signals? Really? All the religion I hear on my radio here in Connnecticut is various shades of Christianity.

Good point.

 

[davideduardo]

It's a language barrier. I marvel at people from other nationalities who learn English quite well as a second language, while I can barely say a few words in French, which I studied in grade school (lack of usage for years makes it nigh impossible to remember). I also tried to master rudimentary Portuguese when I was traveling to Brazil, but could never get past a few necessary phrases. Some brains just aren't wired for multiple languages unless you start very young.

That is a good point. Americans are noted for being quite determined to not learn other languages.

I'll repeat the old comedy bit...

First Person: What do you call someone who speaks many languages?
Second one: A polyglot.
First Person: And one who speaks two languages?
Second one: Bilingual.
First Person: And one who only speaks one language?
Second one: An American!

Going on four decades ago, one of my daughters was punished in a Florida school for speaking Spanish during recess with a classmate. Both were born in Puerto Rico, part of the US, where Spanish is spoken by 99.9% of the population. We have a ways to go.

 

[Mikey Radio]

I also tried to master rudimentary Portuguese when I was traveling to Brazil, but could never get past a few necessary phrases. Some brains just aren't wired for multiple languages unless you start very young.

I agree fully. I've traveled to a few countries, primarily on business and while I can always get by and I do make it a point to learn simple greetings and enough of the local dialect to order a meal or ask for simple things, I also believe that some have a gift for learning languages and it seems to come easily to them, while others do not. Personally I've tried a few different software programs and even watched hours of Telemundo and Univision both with and without English subtitles, and I never really master it. Luckily in most places, especially across Europe, if they realize you're really trying and are making an attempt to speak their language, they're sympathetic and will help.

What I find most difficult are the subtle things within the Spanish language especially, which, if not pronounced exactly the right way, can create a completely different meaning. A good example is this one made semi-famous by comedian Will Farrell:

"Mi papá tiene 47 años = My dad is 47 years old. Mi papa tiene 47 anos = My potato has 47 asses".​