[opendtv] Re: FCC on revitalizing the AM band

  • From: Cliff Benham <flyback1@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Sat, 24 Oct 2015 21:41:55 -0400



On 10/24/2015 7:31 PM, Albert Manfredi wrote:

I didn't say anything about "license." I'm talking technical realities here,
not the usual make-believe. Everything in that report downgrades the usefulness of the
actual AM signal. It makes the quality of AM reception worse than it is, it encourages
more interference at night, it wants to allow use of less efficient AM antennas, for less
coverage, and overall it makes up for the loss in AM usefulness by promoting more use of
FM translators. So it's another example of FCC pretense, along the same lines as the way
we all pretend that OTA broadcast stations own the high value conglom content. Let's
pretend this predominantly FM broadcaster is actually an AM broadcaster, and let's
devalue the AM signal even more than it already is.


The addition of HD radio signals to the AM band has rendered it practically useless.
I can no longer listen to WLW, Cincinnati, and other power house and previously CLEAR CHANNEL stations because the HD digital noise from adjacent frequencies blankets the clear channel frequencies.

Even with a 110 ft longwire antenna and an antenna tuner, reception that was once quite usable
is now mostly unlistenable.

The FCC wants only to get rid of standard AM broadcasting so it won't have to deal with the technicalities involved in directional signals [because there are more lawyers at the FCC than there are competent RF engineers] and AM broadcasters want to make the coverage of AM stations smaller so there is no way listeners can hear a signal outside of their local markets.
Advertisers may have a hand in this also. And the ratings companies as well.

So slowly but surely the AM broadcast band is being made completely unusable if not killed
completely by Washington and the advertising and ratings industries.

I own several HD radios both AM and FM and although I live no more that 20 miles from the edge of the Philadelphia market, I cannot receive but one or two weak crappy signals, even with
a roof mounted antenna.

I truly believe all this is a ploy to restrict broadcast coverage to the immediate metropolitan areas nearest Philadelphia [and most other metropolitan areas around the country, NO DOUBT] so
that the ratings and the advertising dollars can be tied into nice, neat SMALL bundles
and easily digested for the industry.
Who cares about listeners who live half way between two major markets and who can't receive usable signals from EITHER ONE because of HD radio?

I also believe the ploy to make HD radio the law of the land is just to sell more useless receivers and get rid of conventional AM receivers all together.

Too bad the FCC is now all about the money instead of serving the public with needed information.

Cliff Benham










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