AMband.org

According to Radio Magazine, the ITU gave the green light for DRM digital broadcasting in the tropical bands. Although not strictly an AMBand issue, it is creeping close, since the tropical bands are just above the high end of the US AM band. You can read the full article here.

The National Radio Systems Committee has issued two revised AM standards and deleted the NRSC-3 receiver specifications standard as obsolete on September 26. The revised standards are NRSC-1-A and NRSC-2-A. NRSC-1-A specifies the preemphasis and deemphasis curves and bandwidth limitations for AM transmission, while NRSC-2-A sets the standards for RF emissions from AM stations. The NRSC intends to publish the revised standards as soon as a procedural review is completed, in about four weeks.

The NRSC also adopted a guideline for recommended bandwidth for AM transmission. NRSC-G100 provides guidance for operators who would like to decrease first adjacent channel interference by operating with bandwidth narrower than the 10 kHz limit. Using the full 10 kHz bandwidth is lost on most receivers, as nearly all receiver IF filters limit audio response to much less than 10 kHz. Benefits from this technique are limited to cases where the licensees mutually agree to bandwidth reduction of stations that interfere with each other.

Our southern neighbors have formally communicated that they want the FCC to reconsider its order authorizing AM IBOC operations at night. A recent Radio World Online article outlines the objections. Leonard Kahn’s TheWrathofKahn.org site has a copy of the letter which objects to FM IBOC authorizations as well.

This is one more bump in the road for digital Medium Wave Broadcasting, but I think that our neighbors south of the border are probably just reserving their places at the table. I have heard that at least one Mexican station has begun broadcasting in IBOC.

For those of us who have found the “Yellow Gold” in the ground at tower bases disappearing: Ron Nott of Nott LTD (the unipole folks) are experimenting with the use of #10 Copperweld for the radial wires of a ground system. They are checking out the potential pitfalls and benefits of installing a copper bonded steel wire instead of installing a wire which people want to steal!

I am looking forward to hearing of the eutectic (metal bonding) and corrosion resistance characteristics of this promising technology. Once the problems of connecting the wire to strap and assuring that the copper cladding stays continuous in the corrosive conditions of soil are understood, we just might be able to find a way to keep the ground system in the ground! (more…)

The FCC has issued RM-11384 to my petition to revise the Pre-SunRise and Post-SunSet Authorization rules for AM stations. The petition seeks relief for AM stations of all classes to operate with the maximum power that will not cause interference during the essential winter “drive time” hours.

The petition proposes that stations may maintain their present PSRA and PSSA operations, but if no interference is caused, to potentially operate with much higher power during the transition hours. Everyone knows that skywave signals don’t just suddenly reach out the great distances that they do in the middle of the night. This petition looks at the actuality, and seeks to optimize the use of the available spectrum. The main points of the petition are:

• PSRA and PSSA power need not be limited to 500 Watts if no interference would be caused.
• Secondary (skywave) service areas of class A stations expand and contract from east to west with the transit of the sun. There is no need to protect a service area that either does not exist yet on the western edge of the area, or has ceased to exist because the sun is rising on the eastern edge of the area.
• Stations should be able to use their day, night, auxiliary or one tower of the array – whatever works best for PSRA and PSSA.

• Class B, and D stations should be able to operate with any power, up to the maximum of day or night station power during PSRA and PSSA so long as no interference is caused.

All station owners who have stations with anemic night signals should comment on this petition, as it could significantly increase your coverage during the critical hours when folks are getting out to work and coming home.

To make a comment is pretty easy – Read over the petition posted here. Note the proceeding number RM-11384 and go to the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System and make your thoughts known. Simply enter RM-11384 in the Proceeding box, then fill out your name, affiliation, address, etc. You can either type in your comments directly, or you can upload an MS Word, Wordperfect, or Adobe PDF file that is prepared offline. Comments are due by August 20th. (The FCC informs me that the ECFS system has a problem right now. If you want to read other folks’ comments, for the time being, you need to download the file and rename it so that it has a .pdf extension and you should be able to read it. Otherwise it should work fine 8/03/07)

If you think that this petition would benefit your stations, isn’t too complicated and protects the night coverage of other stations adequately, then you should make your thoughts known.

The FCC has asked for comments and set July 23 as the deadline in response to the recommendations by the Ad Hoc AM Antenna Performance Verification Coalition. Comments that have already been filed, including the Coalition’s, may be viewed at http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/websql/prod/ecfs/comsrch_v2.hts and entering the docket number 93-177 in the search field. Your comments may be entered at http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/upload_v2.cgi

More details are available in a previous AMBAND.ORG article on the subject.

The FCC has issued its Second Report and Order authorizing regular IBOC transmissions for AM and FM stations. The Report specifically authorized AM stations to operate during their regular night hours of operation with IBOC. There were a lot of additional issues covered, concerning FM, datacasting and multicasting. In the hybrid mode AM IBOC does not support multicasting, but limited rate datacasting can be accommodated.

Arbitron and Edison Media Research have conducted a study on the impact of alternate radio-like delivery methods, such as:  iPods, audio streaming, etc. You can download the report here.

• The report finds: Internet radio listening has increased 50% in the last year
• Internet radio reaches 19% of 18-34′s weekly
• Both XM and Sirius are recognized by more than 60% of the public
• Satellite listeners are an upscale audienc: 27% have incomes over $100k
• There is confusion between podcasting, internet radio and downloadable music
• More than half of those who have listened to podcasts are under 35, and 20% under 17
• Interest in HD radio is up: 8% very interested, and 27% more are somewhat interested
• Most people report the desired price point for an HD receiver at $50 to $100
• 77% of listeners report that they expect to listen to the same amount of AM and FM radio as they do now
• Digital radio users have not decreased the amount of time they spend listening to AM and FM radio

I wrote an article in Radio World concerning the full digital versions of IBOC.

Congress’ change to the dates for Daylight Savings Time has madePre-Sunrise authorizations more important than ever. Operation of daytime stations and fulltime stations with weak night power is seriously impacted. Daylight will come even later in the morning this March and next October and November, and for each year thereafter.

As I reported earlier, the FCC’s Pre-Sunrise and Post Sunset Authorization calculator is seriously broken, and won’t be fixed until at least next fall. The Commission has implemented a stopgap measure to patch the system for this spring for many stations, but it is pretty bad news for stations with no pre-sunrise authorizations at all.

I am filing a Petition for Rulemaking that proposes a more rational set of rules that will significantly increase expanded hours authorizations to permit all class B and D stations to operate during the transitional hours on a non-interference basis. Those stations now eligible for 500 Watt (or lower) PSRA operations under the current rules would still be eligible, but those stations that can run more power without interference could do so. (more…)