As has been widely reported in other places, the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) has completed its study of AM Radio and recommendations to improve the service. The NAB has taken a cautious, if the not somewhat paternalistic approach of holding the report while they review their options. It seems that the technical nature of such a document would not be understood by us mere mortals.
Some of the AM improvement options that have been bantered about in the past include:
Moving AM stations to the vacant frequencies of TV Channels 5 and 6, see this.
Reducing the number of AM stations on the band, see this.
Increasing transmission power of AM stations, see this.
Converting AM stations to all digital modulation, see this.
There may be a few other options considered also.
It does not take too much analytical prowess to deduce where the NAB’s proposal is going. My prediction is that they will be promoting an all-digital “solution” to the AM broadcasting issue using iBquity’s HD Radio product. I base this prediction on the fact that all of the major radio members of the NAB (Clear Channel, Cumulus, CBS, et al) are heavily invested in the iBquity product. For this reason, the NAB will find (or has found) that digital broadcasting in the medium wave band will solve all of the currently perceived problems with AM and everyone should embrace the technology.
A few numbers to note:
iBiquity and the FCC data base reports that there are currently either 270 or 299 AM stations licensed to operate with HD Radio. Other sources note that several of these stations have been turned off and the actual number using HD Radio is 215.
Currently, HD Radio is transmitted 4-6% of the AM stations in the country.
It costs $25,000 US to license a single HD Radio station through iBiquity. They are, however, discounting that to between $11,500 and 13,500 and have a convenient payment plan (limited time offer, expires December 31, 2012, FCC license fees are extra).
It costs between $75,000 and $150,000 to equip and or modify a single AM station with HD Radio gear.
Unless iBiquity drops all patent claims and licensing fees to use its product, an FCC mandate for AM stations to install HD Radio would be skating dangerously close to corporate fascism (AKA Mussolini Fascism or Corporatism) as one corporate entity would then control broadcast radio by licensing its modulation scheme. And no, the patent is not going to expire.
Digital modulation schemes used in the medium wave band have their own set of technical issues. HD Radio is not the panacea for AM broadcasting’s self inflicted woes.
This is one of the possibilities that has been bantered about as a solution for the “AM problem.” The theory goes as such; former TV channels 5 and 6 (76 – 88 MHz), which are not suitable for DTV would be an ideal place for the existing AM stations to move. That represents a 12 MHz chunk of spectrum, which is much more than the current 1.16 MHz spectrum the current AM broadcasting service takes up (.54 to 1.7 Mhz). An added benefit is that the VHF spectrum does not have the skywave “problem” that the MF spectrum does, thus many more stations could be licensed to the service. Everyone would benefit, and AM stations would get a new lease on life in the FM band. The number of stations would increase by several fold, including LPFM, non-commercial, and translators. AM stations would no longer be burdened with expensive directional arrays or substandard audio quality.
It seems almost too good to be true…
The FCC reportedly promised “take a hard look” at this idea back in 2008. Four years later, one wonders what has become of it.
A quick search of the existing TV stations licensed to channels 5 and 6 reveals the flaw in this theory. The FCC has re-licensed many full powered and Low Powered DTV stations to channels 5 and 6 since 2008.
List of full power channel 5 stations:
Call Sign
Service
Status
City
State
Fac ID
ERP (kw)
HAAT (m)
Licensee
WOI-DT
DT
LIC
AMES
IA
8661
13.9
566
CAPITAL COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY, INC.
WGVK
DT
LIC
KALAMAZOO
MI
24783
10
169
GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY
WBKP
DT
LIC
CALUMET
MI
76001
6.4
301
LAKE SUPERIOR COMMUNITY BROADCASTING CORPORATION
KXLF-TV
DT
LIC
BUTTE
MT
35959
10
588
KXLF COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
KXGN-TV
DT
LIC
GLENDIVE
MT
24287
1
152.4
GLENDIVE BROADCASTING CORP.
KHAS-TV
DT
LIC
HASTINGS
NE
48003
45
217
HOAK MEDIA OF NEBRASKA LICENSE, LLC
WLMB
DT
LIC
TOLEDO
OH
17076
10
155
DOMINION BROADCASTING, INC.
KOBI
DT
LIC
MEDFORD
OR
8260
6.35
823
CALIFORNIA OREGON BROADCASTING, INC.
KIVV-TV
DT
LIC
LEAD
SD
34348
9.2
561
KEVN, INC.
WTVF
DT
LIC
NASHVILLE
TN
36504
22
425
NEWSCHANNEL 5 NETWORK, LLC
WMC-TV
DT
LIC
MEMPHIS
TN
19184
34.5
308
WMC LICENSE SUBSIDIARY, LLC
KCWX
DT
LIC
FREDERICKSBURG
TX
24316
23.7
412
CORRIDOR TELEVISION, L.L.P.
WCYB-TV
DT
LIC
BRISTOL
VA
2455
29.9
743
BLUESTONE LICENSE HOLDINGS INC.
WDTV
DT
LIC
WESTON
WV
70592
10
240
WITHERS BROADCASTING COMPANY OF WEST VIRGINIA
WIWN
DT
LIC
FOND DU LAC
WI
60571
9
338
WWAZ LICENSE, LLC
List of Low Power Channel 5 stations (analog):
Call Sign
Service
Status
City
State
Fac ID
ERP (kw)
HAAT (m)
Licensee
KSCT-LP
TX
LIC
SITKA
AK
15348
0.049
0
DAN ETULAIN
K05KF
TX
LIC
DILLINGHAM
AK
792
0.16
0
ALASKA CORP OF SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST
KRDN-LP
TX
LIC
REDDING
CA
127179
0.6
0
KM COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
W05CO
TX
LIC
SARASOTA
FL
66995
3
0
THREE ANGELS BROADCASTING NETWORK, INC.
W05CJ
TX
LIC
KEY WEST
FL
125642
0.59
0
JAMES J. CHLADEK
DKHHB-LP
TX
LIC
HILO
HI
126233
3
0
KHHB, LLC
WIKY-LP
TX
LIC
EVANSVILLE, ETC.
IN
61036
0.14
0
ROBERTS BROADCASTING COMPANY OF EVANSVILLE, IN, LLC
Looking through this data, particularly the digital licenses which were granted since 2009, one an only assume that the FCC has, by de facto, nixed this idea if it ever considered it at all.
The FCC reverses its former position on EAS text-to-speech, permitting stations to begin using it today (May 7, 2012). The FCC’s main issue with Text To Speech (TTS) was that it may not render the text accurate enough to be understood, especially in emergencies. This can lead to confusing messages and defeat the purpose of EAS altogether.
I have played around with some text-to-speech software and indeed it can mangle words, mispronounce punctuation as a part of the sentence structure, mumble, etc. Further, as I have said before, listening to some robo voice is very impersonal. But, I suppose that is the point, isn’t it; some big government agency computers generate messages that no one person is really responsible for. Bureaucratic paradise.
The old version of the software, that is. I like the graphical interface, just one glance is all that is needed:
Burk auto pilot
I have not had a chance to fool around with the newer version, the screen shots on the Burk website look a little bit different.
The setup and programming of macros is pretty easy; power/pattern change times, Pre-sunrise, and post-sunset functions, automatic tower light monitoring, AM Directional Antenna readings, and automatic transmitter restoration routines. If programmed correctly, the software can eliminate many of those late-night/early-morning phone calls, which is always a good goal.
