WSM night signal now with iBOC hiss courtesy of WSCR 670

[Tom Wells]

WSCR Chicago AM 670 is running iBOC tonight and really trashing WSM's signal into Chicago, which was once completely listenable.
I wonder just how far the swath of destruction spreads? It's still on at 23:00.

I'll really miss WSM.

 

[jlt_03]

I know this doesn't relate to WSCR's iBOC splatter, but for what it's worth...I actually listened to WSM about 4am today on a late, late drive from Houston to Shreveport, LA with no reception problems.

 

[KevinFodor]

Hey, I DX'd, too when I was a kid.

But, WSM is not, and never was, licensed to "serve" Chicago.

 

[Tom Wells]

Hey, I DX'd, too when I was a kid.

But, WSM is not, and never was, licensed to "serve" Chicago.

You may consider 500 miles DX, I do not. It's another station that came in fine on my radios and has been one of the choices we have had
since the beginning of radio.

I can ony hope something, somewhere that you value is "stolen" by "legal" means, then given to someone who will use it in a way
you perceive as selfish, wasteful, and ruins your ability to use it.
A bright street light just outside your bedroom window would have many advantages, can you think of any reasons why this might be a
bad idea?

You know you don't have any "right" to darkness, but you do appreciate darkness at night, don't you?

City of license is irrelevant to listeners once a station has spent 60+ years serving the nation.

 

[w9wi]

But, WSM is not, and never was, licensed to "serve" Chicago.

Then again, neither is 105.9 Free FM, 101.9 The Mix, V103, or TV station My 50, among other stations most Chicagoans (wrongly) believe to be Chicago-licensed outlets.

What I don't often see discussed is the effect of nighttime AM IBOC (and for that matter, FM IBOC) on listeners outside major cities. Where I live (Pleasant View) WSM is the ONLY Tennessee AM station that delivers an interference-free nighttime signal. EVERY other choice on the nighttime dial is "DX" - will disappear if every AM station on the dial goes IBOC. (0) Somewhere between a few hundred thousand and about a million Tennesseans live in similar circumstances - will lose most or all of their nighttime AM service.

(0) I highly doubt this will happen.

 

[K4WRF]

WSM takes seriously and carefully considers all complaints and observations concerning interference to its coverage areas including its 0.5mV, 50% sky wave coverage. May I encourage any complaints and specific details be directed to [email protected] where they will receive careful consideration and appropriate action if warranted.

Many thanks,

w/

 

[vibe]

FWIW-WSM comes in very clear most of the time when driving about 20-30 mi out of NYC where there is a 50kw first adjacent, WFAN 660. If the local 660 is not interfering with WSM (coming in from approx 600 mi,) then something is wrong with a sysyem that would allow a 670 to interfere with 650 (coming in from approx the same distance).

 

[w9wi]

FWIW-WSM comes in very clear most of the time when driving about 20-30 mi out of NYC where there is a 50kw first adjacent, WFAN 660. If the local 660 is not interfering with WSM (coming in from approx 600 mi,) then something is wrong with a sysyem that would allow a 670 to interfere with 650 (coming in from approx the same distance).

FWIW, the IBOC digital signal occupies the space between 5 and 15KHz below the station's center frequency, and the space between 5 and 15KHz above it. If WFAN 660 runs IBOC then its digital signal will stretch between 645-655KHz and between 665-675KHz.

If I recall properly WFAN *is* running IBOC. In which case I think the most likely reason you aren't hearing interference is that you're listening at night, after WFAN has turned the digital signal off. I'm betting those hearing IBOC interference from WSCR are listening when it's still officially "daytime" in Chicago.

The FCC has already announced they are going to authorize nighttime IBOC operation. (however, they seem to be being VERY slow about finishing the paperwork)

(there are those of us who would indeed argue that there's something wrong with IBOC!)

 

[hipporadio]

Why in the world would WSCR ("The Score")—a SPORTS station, where the spoken word occupies a lop-sided majority of the program material, require a digital stereo signal? Is the ability to hear the “bumper music” and commercials in that mode SO very compelling that 670 is willing to degrade THEIR OWN signal AND that of WSM? Would it be that the spoken voice sounds SO much better in IBOC? NOT! ...unless you consider the dramatic added effects of the digital artifacts to be a form of morose enhancement.

Could its benefit be ballpark crowd ambience in stereo? Maybe if WSCR could manage to “mike” the sailing ball after a hit, they could pan the “wooosh” from left to right... :

Believe it or not—some audio eclectic may find that to be “cool”... What ISN’T at all cool, is trashing a fine wide-coverage American cultural icon such as WSM!