[opendtv] Re: FCC on revitalizing the AM band

  • From: Craig Birkmaier <brewmastercraig@xxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2015 07:29:08 -0400

On Oct 26, 2015, at 9:51 PM, Manfredi, Albert E
<albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


Good question. But it does at least offer the possibility of making good use
of spectrum that is now mostly a waste.

That seems to be an opinion. AM radio still has a very large audience, although
FM is clearly preferred. I saw a statistic that somewhere between 35 to 50%
never listen to AM, depending on the market being measured. But this still
means that a significant audience is listening. If you then require this
audience to have or buy an HD radio, it would probably kill any remaining
economic opportunity in the band.

I wrote:

It is unclear if existing HD radio receivers would work if you
fundamentally change the design and use all f the spectrum assigned
to a station for digital service.

That's been in the standard all along, so unless HD Radio manufacturers have
been cutting corners, it's supposed to work.

I tried a search to see if anyone is broadcasting only in digital with HD
radio. What I found was something quite different. In many markets stations are
simulcasting their HD-1 and HD-2 content on low power analog translators that
can be received on all radios. This is being promoted as a way to build
commercially viable audiences while the industry waits for the number of HD
radio receivers to grow. Still, as of 2013 there were only 15 million HD
capable receivers in the market...


Regards
Craig

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