Comments for AMband.org http://amband.org Medium Wave broadcasting forever Tue, 21 Aug 2007 17:08:23 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 Comment on FCC Requests Comments on Radiotechniques PSRA/PSSA Petition by Nels http://amband.org/2007/07/fcc-requests-comments-on-radiotechniques-psrapssa-petition/comment-page-1/#comment-7 Nels Tue, 21 Aug 2007 17:08:23 +0000 http://amband.org/index.php/2007/07/20/fcc-requests-comments-on-radiotechniques-psrapssa-petition/#comment-7 I learned of this petition via the August issue of Radio Guide which came today, too late for the comment period. A search of the FCC site reveals no information on the petition. Without having seen the specifics of the petition, the suggestions seem reasonable. On a related matter, the FCC should change the now unnecessary protections for the clear channel powerhouses; regional stations are no longer necessary. Let them keep their current power while allowing the rest of us on the frequencies to infringe a bit more, at least enough to serve our listeners fulltime. I learned of this petition via the August issue of Radio Guide which came today, too late for the comment period. A search of the FCC site reveals no information on the petition. Without having seen the specifics of the petition, the suggestions seem reasonable. On a related matter, the FCC should change the now unnecessary protections for the clear channel powerhouses; regional stations are no longer necessary. Let them keep their current power while allowing the rest of us on the frequencies to infringe a bit more, at least enough to serve our listeners fulltime.

]]> Comment on FCC Requests Comments on Radiotechniques PSRA/PSSA Petition by Broadcast Law Blog http://amband.org/2007/07/fcc-requests-comments-on-radiotechniques-psrapssa-petition/comment-page-1/#comment-6 Broadcast Law Blog Sun, 29 Jul 2007 20:12:29 +0000 http://amband.org/index.php/2007/07/20/fcc-requests-comments-on-radiotechniques-psrapssa-petition/#comment-6 <strong>AM Radio Changes Proposed - While Others Languish</strong> We've recently written much about Internet radio, digital radio, digital television and all sorts of new technologies to electronically deliver media content.  But the grandfather of all electronic media - AM radio - still provides... AM Radio Changes Proposed – While Others Languish

We’ve recently written much about Internet radio, digital radio, digital television and all sorts of new technologies to electronically deliver media content.  But the grandfather of all electronic media – AM radio - still provides…

]]> Comment on Ad Hoc Committee Hones AM directional verification by Comment Date set for AM Directional Antenna Simplification » AMband.org http://amband.org/2007/02/ad-hoc-committee-hones-am-directional-verification/comment-page-1/#comment-5 Comment Date set for AM Directional Antenna Simplification » AMband.org Sun, 03 Jun 2007 19:48:34 +0000 http://amband.org/index.php/2007/02/09/ad-hoc-committee-hones-am-directional-verification/#comment-5 [...] details are available in a previous AMBAND.ORG article on the [...] [...] details are available in a previous AMBAND.ORG article on the [...]

]]> Comment on Full Digital IBOC? by rickyb http://amband.org/2007/04/full-digital-iboc/comment-page-1/#comment-3 rickyb Tue, 10 Apr 2007 14:16:38 +0000 http://amband.org/index.php/2007/04/04/full-digital-iboc/#comment-3 Ted: Your RadioWorld article was a very good one. I believe you when you say that ultimately Digital AM will be a great improvement. But addressing only the group owners with deep pockets can survive. Those of us who are indies struggle to survive while Ibiquity wants to be in our bank accounts forever. If you love Free FM, the industry needs to embrace Free AM & FM from the financial roulette that we are faced with this system. Frankly, I believe this is not the most technically proficient system avaialble, what about DRM, or some of the other systems that should be considered.? If we look back on the early "halcyon days" of AM, it was a unique way of the radio manufacturers to degrade the first IF stages of AM radios to put the band in jeopardy. If you recall, in the old days of AM/FM simulcast prior to the 19kHz stereo pilot, broadcasters would broadcast in stereo with the Left channel on the AM, and the Right Channel on the FM. Roll the clock further forward with wideband AM, a great system, and with good signal to noise ratio and not trespassing on the 10kHz envelope. This is a moneygrab and will send most of us indies into early sales. Its by talking with the old radio engineers who will confide in how the AM industry was originally destroyed to drive the market to the FM band. Now we see a system that I've heard, sounds just okay, and puts at risk the future of local AM. Listen to any of the old 50's AM-FM tube radios, and the two bands sound remarkably the same. What happened? The arguement is that the AM band needed to be de-cluttered by shrinking the channel size. Roll the clock forward, the FCC moved the expanded band forward as a way to again, declutter the band. The expanded band stations had a five year window to darken their original in-band frequencies. Now we see several of those darkened stations going "hot" again. So whats the deal.. On the one hand, IBOC is supposed to revive the AM band. Seems like a lesson is huge contradictions. While not an RF engineer, it seems there are easy AM receiver circuitry fixes for the noise and the quality. This seems to be another way to give the corporate giants a way to own everything, the trouble is, they'd prefer to run 25 stations out of a single IT computer room. As a 39 year veteran of local radio, this is not my idea of "localism". Guys in Washington need to understand what real localism is, not what the corporate giants are telling them. Ted: Your RadioWorld article was a very good one. I believe you when you say that ultimately Digital AM will be a great improvement. But addressing only the group owners with deep pockets can survive. Those of us who are indies struggle to survive while Ibiquity wants to be in our bank accounts forever. If you love Free FM, the industry needs to embrace Free AM & FM from the financial roulette that we are faced with this system. Frankly, I believe this is not the most technically proficient system avaialble, what about DRM, or some of the other systems that should be considered.? If we look back on the early “halcyon days” of AM, it was a unique way of the radio manufacturers to degrade the first IF stages of AM radios to put the band in jeopardy. If you recall, in the old days of AM/FM simulcast prior to the 19kHz
stereo pilot, broadcasters would broadcast in stereo with the Left channel on the AM, and the Right Channel on the FM.
Roll the clock further forward with wideband AM, a great system, and with good signal to noise ratio and not trespassing on the 10kHz
envelope. This is a moneygrab and will send most of us indies into early sales.

Its by talking with the old radio engineers who will confide in how the AM industry was originally destroyed to drive the market to the FM band. Now we see a system that I’ve heard, sounds just okay, and puts at risk the future of local AM. Listen to any of the old 50’s AM-FM tube radios, and the two bands sound remarkably the same. What happened? The arguement is that the AM band needed to be de-cluttered by shrinking the channel size. Roll the clock forward, the FCC moved the expanded band forward as a way to again, declutter the band. The expanded band stations had a five year window to darken their original in-band frequencies. Now we see several of those darkened stations going “hot” again.
So whats the deal.. On the one hand, IBOC is supposed to revive the AM band. Seems like a lesson is huge contradictions. While not an RF engineer, it seems there are easy AM receiver circuitry fixes for the noise and the quality.
This seems to be another way to give the corporate giants a way to own everything, the trouble is, they’d prefer to run 25 stations out of a single IT computer room. As a 39 year veteran of local radio, this is not my idea of “localism”. Guys in Washington need to understand what real localism is, not what the corporate giants are telling them.

]]> Comment on FCC Pre-sunrise and Post-Sunset Calculator on the Fritz by Time to Rethink Pre Sunrise and Post Sunset Authorizations? » AMband.org http://amband.org/2007/03/fcc-pre-sunrise-and-post-sunset-calculator-on-the-fritz/comment-page-1/#comment-2 Time to Rethink Pre Sunrise and Post Sunset Authorizations? » AMband.org Wed, 14 Mar 2007 03:04:14 +0000 http://amband.org/index.php/2007/03/08/fcc-pre-sunrise-and-post-sunset-calculator-on-the-fritz/#comment-2 [...] 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. [...] [...] 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. [...]

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