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What the hell is on the AM band that keeps people posting about.

Earlier, you said it's all about programming. I believe it's all about money. The programming you do will depend on the money you can make. If great programming costs too much to make money, you don't do it, even if there's an audience for it. That's the tough decision I make all the time.

I agree. When I made the statement about programming, I was speaking in terms of why someone would listen to AM or at least that's what my intention was, how it came out might have been different. In that case it is the programming. But as a radio programmer, as you appear to be, you obviously want programming that brings in an audience, but you've got that ole pesky bottomline thing to worry about, so yes, I can image you end up making some tough decisions.
 
Living near Atlantic City,you realize just how bad AM radio really is. We have 5 graveyard AM stations...where you can actually see the radio towers about 3 miles away at night and already all of the jumble is coming in the background...although we have some pretty low powered Fm stations as well that dont cover much of the area....
 
Starbucks said:
I finally took a little time when travelling to monitor the AM band while driving thru 3 large states last week. The question is especially after sunset...What the hell is on?
It amazes me when I read or glance through these posts....when an AM station signs off or goes broke, people react to it like a loss girlfriend. (It's probably what it is.) What do you people see analyzing an AM station, whether it's canned talk, ethnic, 179 watts or doesn't have live news cast with the teletype on at 3 AM in the morning? I can't find one thing I want to listen to 95% of the time with the exception of one national talk show host , or a local morning show. Anything at night, especially when there's a dull George Noory show, I'm bored listening. I tried to fetch whtever was around that played any type of contemporary music....and of course , 3 out of 4 stations were Radio Disney. I found a canned or satellite delivered oldies, and Classic Country station, and let alone with the a C Crane radio I experimented with...all I got was alot of chatter with more signals on..... it sounded more like a bunch of graveyard channels. The fun of DXing is not what it once was. Anything that a morning show let alone KYW announces, I get it before or just as fast with the internet. we all should be discussing Internet WIFI Radio, Hulu, Netflix, Station Playlist. The point is that most of these AM stations are on because it's hard walking away from a license. Or it came with a deal to acquire 2 powerhouse FM's or something like that. It's like walking away from a $600,000 plus mortgage payment. Maybe if you feel I'm wrong...then you can tell me what is exciting on today's AM radio dial. Local or National. Am I missing something? An antenna switch? Star Spangled banner? A daytimer signing off? Another non- english station I can't understand. Maybe a pirate, or a part 15 that gets out far....Now that's exciting.
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AM takes some back to a time when things were simpler. If there were no sponsors and no listeners there would not be an AM band. A simpler time when an audience did not have radio people that were all ready with claws out to prey on an audience; or a hornet's nest full of intrigue and drama that spilled out to the audience from inside of a radio station. Recognizing that those simple times are over, some like to remember them anyway.
 
I listened to some of the Super Bowl via Westwood One on WYSP and WDEL (WDEL was live and WYSP had about a 20 second delay). One of the Westwood One announcers mentioned that this Super Bowl had the largest amount of radio stations carrying the game of any Super Bowl, 659. I realize that some of that 659 is FM stations like WYSP, but my guess is, most of those were AM stations. Obviously, TV ratings will be far higher, but apparently there's still enough interest, theoretically because of local spot avails, that 659 radio stations nationwide carried the game. I'd sure like to think that some AM radio stations made some money tonight via local avails. For portability, radio still has an edge. You can't watch a TV or podcast while driving or even walking somewhere. People who are working tonight got to hear the game tonight via their local WW1 affiliate, most likely an AM radio station in most markets. That doesn't mean that FM won't eventually get the lion's share of talk, sports, or sportstalk and push AM further down the food chain, but that hasn't happened everywhere, yet.
 
And that's why AM is nothing but a vast wasteland of signals. Local High School sports and local news at noon and 5 PM in small town radio with populations of 25,000 or less even in these times would still fill the need. But no matter what AM develops, FM or internet will eventually take it away. They should start allocating for BPL within 7-10 years.
 
MikefromDelaware said:
I listened to some of the Super Bowl via Westwood One on WYSP and WDEL (WDEL was live and WYSP had about a 20 second delay). One of the Westwood One announcers mentioned that this Super Bowl had the largest amount of radio stations carrying the game of any Super Bowl, 659. I realize that some of that 659 is FM stations like WYSP, but my guess is, most of those were AM stations. Obviously, TV ratings will be far higher, but apparently there's still enough interest, theoretically because of local spot avails, that 659 radio stations nationwide carried the game. I'd sure like to think that some AM radio stations made some money tonight via local avails. For portability, radio still has an edge. You can't watch a TV or podcast while driving or even walking somewhere. People who are working tonight got to hear the game tonight via their local WW1 affiliate, most likely an AM radio station in most markets. That doesn't mean that FM won't eventually get the lion's share of talk, sports, or sportstalk and push AM further down the food chain, but that hasn't happened everywhere, yet.
Click to expand...

I think you mean WPEN, not WYSP.
 
MikefromDelaware said:
I listened to some of the Super Bowl via Westwood One on WYSP and WDEL (WDEL was live and WYSP had about a 20 second delay). One of the Westwood One announcers mentioned that this Super Bowl had the largest amount of radio stations carrying the game of any Super Bowl, 659. I realize that some of that 659 is FM stations like WYSP, but my guess is, most of those were AM stations. Obviously, TV ratings will be far higher, but apparently there's still enough interest, theoretically because of local spot avails, that 659 radio stations nationwide carried the game. I'd sure like to think that some AM radio stations made some money tonight via local avails. For portability, radio still has an edge. You can't watch a TV or podcast while driving or even walking somewhere. People who are working tonight got to hear the game tonight via their local WW1 affiliate, most likely an AM radio station in most markets. That doesn't mean that FM won't eventually get the lion's share of talk, sports, or sportstalk and push AM further down the food chain, but that hasn't happened everywhere, yet.
Click to expand...

The Super Bowl was on WYSP and WPEN?
 
Re: Rush-bashing While Jackson, Sharpton, Farrakhan etc... Get A Pass

gunsmoke said:
With all due respect to all the posters, why does everyone have a hot nut for Rush, no-one says anything about those rotten so and so's, Jackson, Sharpton, Farrakhan and their clones, with their hate spewing radio and television broadcasts/messages.
Click to expand...
There's a political component to this of course, in that most of Rush's bashers take issue with his ideological leanings and are closer politically to the vitriol spewers they give a pass to. From a radio perspective, Rush is King of the Hill audience and influence-wise, while Sharpton and his ilk are way down in the noise.

Bashing Rush for supposedly controversial speech while giving the real offenders a pass is hypocritical for sure. But it's always useful to consider the motivation and agenda of those who criticize Limbaugh.

Radio Equalizer still keeps track of some of the more egregious offenders. The blog can be a useful resource to temper the assertion that Limbaugh is a prime example of 'hate speech' in the media.
 
I was receiving a station on 1260 tonight in Society Hill where I reside, playing great Classic Country. I thought it was WBUD, but the calls were W-P- - and I could not get the rest, the station was booming in loud and clear. I never caught anything at night on 1260 but hash, the music was great but it just faded after a few hours. Never got the location, jocks, full calls, any commercials, just great music. I know this type format would do well in Philly, how can AM be dead with a great niche format like this, unless this station was from Canada, Mexico or points southeast.
 
Thanks for the info, just checked out the xmtr on bing maps...a small painted tower near some abandoned cars. Odd that can blow out WBUD, but again WBUD has a strict pattern and they are omni. Why would BUD have a directional antenna pattern but not WPHB, was it to protect that Newark DE station. They are gone, so why doesn't BUD loosen up.
 
It's not that easy if a adjacent station goes silent and there's some nearby open territory available. You still have to direct an array of towers which would most likely be the case. You up the omni power and then your probably interfering with Phillipsburg or someone else, even though your getting into Philly better or out in a western direction , but that's not your targeted audience. And it's not worth investing into an engineer to blue print your signal for increasing the power for someplace your probably not going to make extra bucks with. That's why AM is not worth it.
 
26 watts? Why even stay on. If you don't have at least 500 watts and an omni signal at night....could it be profitable or worthwhile to even keep the lights on. I can see maybe pushing it to 7 PM with decreased power in the winter...but most of these stations should keep their daytime status especially in the summer where full power transmissions are longer.
Would I like to know if there was a National AM post asking the question to former daytime stations, and fulltimers who had to decrease their power under 200 watts, and ask the question....HAS YOUR STATION INCREASED REVENUE AND LISTENERS SINCE BEING FULL TIME WITH LOW POWER OR HAS IT STAYED THE SAME?
 
I see 34 watts at night for WPHB, but the point remains. I did some work at the WPHB transmitter site in the 80s and the station (then a daytimer and before it signed on its FM which was later sold) was extremely popular with the locals. The staff included several longtimers and mixed religion and classic country. The inventory was sold out, and the airstaff/owners doubled as sales staff and knew every business in Philipsburg, an area that's been hard hit by job losses for the past 40 years.

As Sam says, WPHB must have forgotten to power down to flea power. Since the studios and transmitter are co-located, this may be a manual operation.
 
26 watts? Why even stay on. If you don't have at least 500 watts and an omni signal at night....could it be profitable or worthwhile to even keep the lights on. I can see maybe pushing it to 7 PM with decreased power in the winter...but most of these stations should keep their daytime status especially in the summer where full power transmissions are longer.
Would I like to know if there was a National AM post asking the question to former daytime stations, and fulltimers who had to decrease their power under 200 watts, and ask the question....HAS YOUR STATION INCREASED REVENUE AND LISTENERS SINCE BEING FULL TIME WITH LOW POWER OR HAS IT STAYED THE SAME?

That same question could be asked of any station, AM or FM during the overnight hours. As most stations are on the bird overnight, be it music or talk, with national spots (making money for the syndicator as they sell spots by how many markets are cleared for their program - I don't believe any radio station gets paid to air those shows other than informercials which all of us here loath). How many stations are airing local spots during these overnight hours that make revenue for their station? Even in many of the larger markets there may not be much of a local spot load. Let's not forget TV stations that now air informercials during the over night, because they can't sell the time any other way, yet rather than sign off they still stay on 24/7 ( I remember the days where you could find some great movies late night on TV - The Late Show, the Late Late Show, etc. They all Radio and TV stay on, because they want to be there anytime someone tunes in. The daytimer AM's lose that mind set of being the "dependable station" in their audience by signing off, so yes many former daytimers now operate at 42w overnight. My guess is, if being on all night was killing their budget, they'd make a change, but apparently the flee watt stations can afford the expense or choose to so they don't have to sign off.
 
As has been mentioned many times on these boards, you have to have a signal available at night so that when people check their alarm clocks before bed, you're there. Otherwise, they'll tune to something else and that's what they'll wake up to in the morning. This is apparently why WNPV went from signing off at night to running sports talk off the bird all night - to maintain the morning show audience. The same applies to flea-watt post-sunset AMs. Plus, I wonder if they're not holding out for the FCC to grant modest nighttime power increases for stations that currently have any presence after sunset. Even WCKB or WGRP.
 
The AM band is way too cluttered. It's too bad the FCC doesn't have the cajones to pull the plug on all the daytimers, token daytimers with night-light wattage, all Class C and D stations and any other station authorized since the Havana Treaty. Give the remaining stations more power and greater bandwidth. Require set manufactures to meet higher standards for AM receivers. And require AM stations be local and live in return for increased coverage.
 
musichead1029 said:
As has been mentioned many times on these boards, you have to have a signal available at night so that when people check their alarm clocks before bed, you're there. Otherwise, they'll tune to something else and that's what they'll wake up to in the morning. This is apparently why WNPV went from signing off at night to running sports talk off the bird all night - to maintain the morning show audience. The same applies to flea-watt post-sunset AMs. Plus, I wonder if they're not holding out for the FCC to grant modest nighttime power increases for stations that currently have any presence after sunset. Even WCKB or WGRP.
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>>>I see your point on that...but with 42 watts , does it cover anywhere that the daytime coverage area signal covers?
How about the surrounding towns 15 miles or so away? Does it cover the city it's license to serve in the whole proper?
What good is it if it covers a 3 mile square radius? Especially with dimmers, computers, and transformers?
And I'm referring a non - major market license. The bottom line is how many people can afford to wake up to a 42 watt morning signal (especially at 5 AM) and not find out that there already late for work because the signal did not reach their house by then. And were talking winter months.
 
Then again, you can play the "CARD", just like WURD and keep upgrading your signal, from a 20 mile daytime only radius in the WFLN/WDVT days, to around 60 plus miles daytime and 20 miles nighttime like they are now...look for them going to 50kw omni 24/7 in the future LOL. Cody the Crook will pull the right strings, and find another mad bomber mayor, and take the city for 2m like he did with WHAT, and walk away scott free. But who will say anything against him.
 
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