Posted on 12/30/2006 9:02:48 AM PST by kiriath_jearim
Radio broadcasts on medium wave will end within a few years if a powerful coalition of commercial radio interests has its way.
Ofcom, commercial radio's regulatory body, will launch a debate in the coming months on the future of radio.
Many predict that it will result in the end of AM broadcasts as we have known them since the days of the Home Service and Light Programme.
The growth of digital broadcasts, either on radio, over the internet or through digital television, has left commercial AM broadcasts with only 3.8 per cent of the national audience this year.
While the BBC remains on the sidelines — the vast bulk of its weekly Radio Five Live audience of 5.7 million still listens on AM — leading figures in the commercial sector are determined to sound the death knell of medium wave.
The commercial stations are having to face up to the dwindling numbers tuning in to AM stations as people opt for FM broadcasts or, increasingly, the higher quality of digital broadcasts.
"The current AM licences are up for renewal in 2011 and 2012," an Ofcom spokesman said yesterday. "The question we have to address is whether or not these stations will be commercially viable by then."
Fru Hazlitt, the chief executive of Virgin Radio, is an outspoken critic of AM.
"We pay huge amounts of money to Ofcom for the AM licence," she said. "Within the next year or two we should switch it off. It just isn't worth it."
Andy Duncan, the chief executive of Channel 4, predicted that, over the next five to 10 years, AM and FM listening would wither away.
Capital Radio bosses have also been calling on the Government to set a date to switch off both AM and FM.
Not everyone agrees, however, that AM is a dead duck. Emap, whose Magic AM has been relaunched nationwide, believes there is still a place for medium wave.
Ofcom said it hoped to begin a wide consultation over the future of AM.
"There could be much more effective uses for this spectrum — it could be used for community radio," the spokesman said. "The growth of digital at the cost of analogue cannot be ignored."
Did you know you can actually copy, paste & share the spoken word?
And after coming here you are going to go off somewhere and say "I read some smart feller who wrote 'this or that'..."
Doesn't seem quite right?
Clear Channel...Am 1100 local for me...seems to do very well!
I had only considered the one I worked for, any of which would gladly sell you the stereo equipment they wasted money on. When I was working in Chicago we had two all-polka stations, so it shouldn't surprise me that there are still some AM stereo station in operation.
Kinda' like the "cave man" commercials for Geico.
When I need advice from you, I'll politely request it.
So why are you here again?
I've been here longer than you, for reasons previously stated.
you are going so far as to actually reply to them!
Yeah, see, this is a forum where folks do that sort of thing.
My, but you are quite the slow one.
You must have some really crappy stations in your area to have such distaste for AM. For local content there is nothing that can beat the AM station in my area of 1 million people.
sorry, #37 was for humblegunner, not capt. norm.
Satellite Radio, SIRIUS, or XM, or a combination of the two, will be the future. I have both SIRI, and XM, and could not spend a day without them...
Excellent!
Please back that assertion up with a quote I have made anywhere.
Eh? What?
Yes, anywhere, any place you like. Whatever you might find.
Eh? NOTHING?
Dang.
Looks like you hung your drawers out on a limb, Zippy.
Thanks for playing, pick up your parting gift at the door.
Do you mean #87?
The crappy AM signal faded, I missed your statement.
It's night now, 1/2 the 8 faded.
"I fully support capitalism,I don't support spending 20 minutes out of every hour listening to commercials."
I hook my MP3 player to the radio if I want commercial free music. I listen to AM for talk. FM has nothing for me. I wish the talk would go to FM.
I was wondering. I still love to see what distant AM stations I can pick up at night, especially while I'm offshore.
Those big 50,000 watt AM stations are about all you can pick up out there unless you have a satellite radio....and I don't.....yet.
WWL in New Orleans, for example, covers the entire Gulf of Mexico as soon as the sun goes down and the skip signals become available.
The FM stations all disappear at about 60 miles out.
Ping-o
So do I.It would be much clearer without the hissing and AM distortion.
That's funny. When I go offshore, it's the FM stations that are the first to take a dive. None seem to make it more than 60 miles out, but at night I can pick up WWL in New Orleans while we're down below Cuba, coming in like the transmitter was somewhere on the ship.
I would imagine a satellite radio would be good for offshore use but I'm too cheap to spring for one....maybe the owners can be talked into installing one.
We have four little computer programmed (MP3's, etc) FM stations on board in four music formats. The oldies format station has over 1700 songs in its collection but that's about as good as it gets. Nothing live.
Fine by me. All I get is Mexican radio 24/7 burning through, especially at night.
But that's okay -- The Golden EIB microphone works in mono.
I do the distance AM station searches whenever I'm driving for long periods at night. Keeps me from getting bored until I have to open the window and let cold air blow on my face to wake me up.
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