tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775853671332053099.post6052770206488924604..comments2023-10-11T10:31:26.860-05:00Comments on Don Keith N4KC's Technology, Media and Ham Radio Blog: Can the Federal Communications Commission save AM broadcast radio"Don Keith N4KChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06333040858271808397noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775853671332053099.post-55385977851416315882015-02-22T17:14:01.714-06:002015-02-22T17:14:01.714-06:00Oh, and though I have no love for the current admi...Oh, and though I have no love for the current administration, I doubt AM radio even shows up on the POTUS radar. Most serious talk has moved to FM anyway. The FCC doesn't have a clue how to help AM. Broadcasters don't either.<br /><br />It may be too late anyway, but seems that coming up with compelling content that can't easily be found elsewhere is about the only hope. AM would have been toes-up already if not for conservative talk, Hispanic, and religious broadcasters. Now, with FM stations willing do anything they can to hang onto any audience they can manage, much of that programming is on FM, so why put up with static, fading and line noise. <br /><br />(Anon, I don't know where you live that you don't have mega-noise on your AM radio. You have to be so far out in the country you don't get the Grand Ole Opry until Monday morning.)<br /><br />DonDon Keith N4KChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06333040858271808397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775853671332053099.post-47397073593690768352015-02-22T17:08:14.297-06:002015-02-22T17:08:14.297-06:00Well, I am not saying that nobody listens. Or tha...Well, I am not saying that nobody listens. Or that there aren't a few folks out there who enjoy AM radio. <br /><br />I am saying--and I know what I am talking about--with a few major-market and legacy-station exceptions, AM has far too few listeners to remain economically viable. And no amount of FM translator or arcane signal-protection gymnastics will help save the band. The former will, though, help to erode FM radio at a time when over-the-air broadcasting can ill afford any erosion at all! The latter is just too little too late.<br /><br />Don.Don Keith N4KChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06333040858271808397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775853671332053099.post-1828494153354938922015-02-22T16:51:16.343-06:002015-02-22T16:51:16.343-06:00I totally disagree. I listen to AM about 90% of t...I totally disagree. I listen to AM about 90% of the time. The range is adequate for most stations. Up to 100 miles or more. Much better than FM. The signal quality or noise is usually not an issue. I agree that the current administration would love to see talk radio go so they can spread their B.S. without competition. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775853671332053099.post-22303571254643541412015-02-22T15:32:39.390-06:002015-02-22T15:32:39.390-06:00Its still radio. Its great for local access and tr...Its still radio. Its great for local access and travel at night. I enjoy it. People may not get noise free service but it works. Noise is nature !!! Green/analog Ha Ha<br />KRT E..........noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775853671332053099.post-77921402536239886882015-02-22T12:24:13.057-06:002015-02-22T12:24:13.057-06:00You are all correct, of course. The broadcasters ...You are all correct, of course. The broadcasters have a strong lobby and will push to the end to save AM. If they invested some of that lobbying money into content, it would go much farther, though.<br /><br />Electrical noise is something the FCC should attempt to fix, not just for AM broadcast but all other services. But is suspect until it becomes an issue to wifi and mobile phones, it will get mostly ignored. Noise absolutely makes much of AM broadcast unlistenable except for the strongest signals.<br /><br />Don KeithDon Keith N4KChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06333040858271808397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775853671332053099.post-33164089332604120902015-02-22T12:15:59.774-06:002015-02-22T12:15:59.774-06:00I can see the FCC attempting to deep-6 AM, since m...I can see the FCC attempting to deep-6 AM, since most talk radio that is not on satellite is on AM. Talk radio is a serious annoyance to the communists of the left would have a much easier time of enslaving the American people if it were not for those telling them all about it on talk radio.<br /><br />OTOH, it is devilishly difficult to get AM radio a lot of the time due to the power line noise, the limited range (which is much better than FM, but still really limited compared to satellite) and a lot of interference by common electricals and electronics in a lot of the stuff we carry, like laptops and such. AM at night anywhere but a really big city sees the signal go to zero when they switch patterns to cut a beam thru the center of the city when they're located south of it, they beam north, and you're south of them. <br /><br />AM will never be a ham band, there's no money in it for anyone.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13108976150848846048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775853671332053099.post-26331821386523681492015-02-20T20:02:31.021-06:002015-02-20T20:02:31.021-06:00It's amazing that AM has lasted this long. I k...It's amazing that AM has lasted this long. I know radio is part market forces and part government forces (FCC and the like) but has it survived thus far mainly on the good graces of Uncle Sam? Greg Womblenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1775853671332053099.post-35495364103261737042015-02-20T13:08:32.925-06:002015-02-20T13:08:32.925-06:00very true Don...
The genie is out of the bottle. m...very true Don...<br />The genie is out of the bottle. many of the successful AM operators have hedged their bets by also broadcasting the AM product on FM. I understand some are considering specialty formats to make some use of the AM until the value of land around tower tops out. Others have already sold the real estate. Content now available elsewhere"... and "without the static and wavering of radio. Who could justify or aford upgrade cost anyway? <br />73,<br /><br />wwAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00445086436764049895noreply@blogger.com