Talk Radio belongs on AM, Not FM

For those who like Talk Radio that's fine. I just don't understand why people are bring spoken word formats to FM when they already are on AM? Is it that difficult for someone to switch to AM on their radio? Why waste a good FM signal that could be playing actual real music of any format or type of music there is and put something that already exists on AM? It doesn't make sense. The audiences AM is trying to get is the younger generation. It's not that difficult for someone young to listen to AM radio. if anything ask for a signal upgrade if not well tough.

I am not in the biz, but things are changing all over. More and more songs are downloaded, and radio is not the go-to for music like it was just 5 to 10 years ago.

Many AM talk stations *want* to be on FM. Many have already moved or simulcast (WDBO Orlando being a recent example, even though AM 580 is a good dial position).

With more interference from electronics, like PCs, iPhones, etc., more buzz is generated on AM. And heaven forbid that a thunderstorm is going on when one is trying to listen to AM! Add to that, trying to listen to AM inside an office building....FM wins.

AM is dying all over. Not a quick demise, but AM is no longer hip, even for talk. The next 5 years will likely see even more and more talk stations going to FM, and music going online, IMO.

This, coming from a longtime AM DXer, who hardly bothers anymore with AM DXing....I'm pretty much FM & TV now!

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There's ways to improve AM signals but not putting it on FM and wasting airspace.

Radio is business and it all comes down to the bottom line. No money, no station. If talk needs more advertisers, they won't get them with a scratchy signal, one that fades at night to unlistenable, or only in one direction.

Not that I like it, but you'll be hearing a lot more chat, and less music on FM over the next few years.

Based on satellite radio, mp3 players, pandora and every other way you can hear music, why wouldn't talk move to FM? NPR has been doing it for years (and rather successfully.)

The big question is, "what will happen to all those AM signals?"

At some point, maybe in 5-10 years, WSB, WDBO, WBBM, WMAL, etc, will decide it's not worth the electric current to keep both stations operating with the same format. Eventually, they will want to split that signal again, keeping the news and talk on FM. So what will they do with the AM signals?

(Remember, this is no different than what happened back in the 60s and 70s with FM radio. Music was on AM, then moved to FM. They put news and talk programming on AM. What's next?)

XCountry285 said:

There's ways to improve AM signals but not putting it on FM and wasting airspace.

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You can improve an AM signal only so far, but it's a flawed (by today's standards) transmission mode. It served its purpose for 80 years (and was king for 50 of them), but there are better ways to broadcast now, both via radio and online.

You can get rid of IBOC & increase the audio frequency response to 15 kHz, and manufacture top-quality AM receivers (who'll buy them?), but it won't matter. There are almost no listeners under retirement age other than for sports - and sports stations are moving to FM as well. They have to in order to survive! There is no market for AM anymore. None.

Even the 50 kW blowtorches are finding bigger audiences on FM simulcasts/translators. Others, like WTOP, just abandoned the AM entirely and are making a mint.

AM signals can stink, esp. with interference and pattern switches. A solid FM can improve reception plus many people today are stuck on FM. Some devices (like mp3 players with radios) can only get FM

In Boston WEEI 850 dominated sports talk and had Celtics and Red Sox too. Then in 09 along came
WBZ-FM 98.5 with a solid FM signal, Bruins, and Patriots (and sports talk on both). Suddenly WEEI had
solid competition. WEEI had to kill off "Mike", a profitable "variety hits" outlet so that WEEI could simulcast
on FM, 93.7--and survive. Show by show, WEEI was losing out in key demos. Changing talent might help, but putting it on FM can't hurt. And in fact they are not even giving the AM freq out anymore and
speculation has the AM doing ESPN 24/7 exc. for spillover sports/

Where I work, and I work nights, 98.5 would come in but not 850 (a few spots maybe but LOTS of interference). Now I can get Red Sox , talk etc
on FM without interference, pattern changes (can't hear em west of town etc.) Entercom, owner of WEEI,
put the signal on some other frequencies--mostly FM--outside of Boston. But they needed solid penetration
into Boston. Now they have it.

Talk, be it sports talk, poli talk, etc. can do well on FM. AM has some advantages but signal problems
and resistance to AM are problems. Deal with it: News. talk, sports are moving to FM and for good reasons. Including making money

>>There are almost no listeners under retirement age other than for sports - and sports stations are moving to FM as well. They have to in order to survive! There is no market for AM anymore. None.

Though AM can still serve the very few, by comparison, who want ethnic music, Radio Disney, religion and very small community stations (a dying breed)

XCountry285 said:

It's not that difficult for someone young to listen to AM radio.

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As I've pointed out in another thread almost exactly like this one: Younger audiences aren't going to listen to AM, no matter how easy it is. They're just not going to do it. Period, end of story.

They're also tired of people picking what music they listen to. The iPod won't kill music radio, but it's definitely wounded it.

There will always be a place for music radio. Doctors' offices, elevators and other public places need something to play. For people who actually want music, radio is becoming less and less relevant. In turn, something that can't be put on an iPod, live talk programming, will fill that void on FM radio.

Trying to stop this inevitability by saying "kids can just switch to AM" is like trying to hang on to the buggy whip factory.

I'd prefer to listen to talk on FM than AM simply because it sounds better! Don't say that just because it's FM, ANY music is better than talk.

Talk radio does belong to AM. Music belongs to FM. If I want to hear talk in FM stereo, I'll listen to my HD radio or online.

phils07 said:

Talk radio does belong to AM. Music belongs to FM. If I want to hear talk in FM stereo, I'll listen to my HD radio or online.

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1990 is calling. They want their radio back. Too bad. They can't have it.

This is 2011, and nothing "belongs" on AM anymore. The market (read: the listeners and advertisers) have already made that decision. News, talk, and sports are moving to FM and music is going online or on people's MP3 players. The game is just about over for dinosaur radio other than for religious and Part 15 broadcasters. It had a good run, but now it's dying of old age and obsolescence. Even the 50 kW blowtorches are pushing their FM (if they have it) and online presence over Ancient Modulation.

Really, what does AM have that make it better than FM or online? Better coverage? Only if you're running 5-50 kW nondirectional and you're at the low end of the dial. But FM has better sound quality, can penetrate office buildings, and is where the listeners are. Where the listeners are is where the advertisers want to be.

Online is also good for the office, is at least nationwide by definition. Some stations are marketing themselves as having nationwide or worldwide coverage, despite the fact that no listeners outside of the local market generate any revenue. If you're a noncomm, you can still sell ads on the stream (union rules permitting, of course). I know of one that does, and there are probably others. If you don't, or can't have an FM, like WGN, this is your entry into the future. There is no future for AM. Its audience is dying of old age along with the AM band. Maybe they'll figure something out to fix it and prove me wrong. I hope they do, since there isn't enough room for everybody on FM. But I'm not holding my breath. If the ITU would agree, maybe they should just turn the AM band over to the hams and be done with it.

If you guys who this religion-like attitude that it is immoral to contaminate the FM band with the spoken word all live in the city, I know your opinion makes sense to you.

For those of us who live out in the commuter communities where AM stations do not reach at night time, and do not reach during drive time in the winter hours, we listen to you guys whine and mutter to ourselves: "How childish. How selfish." For some of us if talk isn't on FM, talk doesn't exist during those hours.

Music now belongs to my MP3 player, Pandora and my XM/Sirius radio (which I will likely stop paying for after it runs out next time)

Talk belongs to FM

The AM dial is now home to ethnic and other "specialty" programming. Exactly where it belongs.

Talk and news is definitely moving to FM like it or not. I don't, but I see why its happening.

I won't declare AM dead though, until the loud fire and brimstone Southern Baptist preachers move to FM. Then AM will be gone for good.

why? ??? Easy! Every time there is a thunderstorm, there is crackling. Every time you go through a tunnel or in a parking garage, the signal is gone. The talk sounds clearer on FM. It's the same reason(s) why music moved there years ago.

Plus, ask any 25 year old when is the last time he or she pushed the AM/FM button on their car radio. (The last one I asked didn't know the radio HAD a button like that. lol) As people just tune around on FM, they might just find your news station and stick with it for a bit. They won't just "run across" your news or talk station on the AM dial.

It won't be long before anyone < 25 will ask, "What's a radio?"

cd

I agree with the original poster. Voice does not take up a lot of bandwidth and sounds fuller on A.M. whereas on F.M. there sounds like a lot of empty space. But this is all irrelevant anyway as soon enough brokered time stations will be on F.M.. We're witnessing what are likely the waning days of BOTH bands. :-[ Plus, I don't see web radio ever becoming as ubiquitous as radio was. There are simply too many web stations & not many of them are any good. The immediately previous poster is right: soon people under 25 will be asking what's a radio.

N1WVQ said:

Voice does not take up a lot of bandwidth and sounds fuller on A.M. whereas on F.M. there sounds like a lot of empty space.

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Say what?

I had an eggplant but the grunch over there.

You win this month's honorable mention for technical double talk. ;D

Once it comes out of the detector stage and goes into the audio section of the receiver, or the speaker system, or the headphones... how does this "empty space" make itself known? What meter would I use to calculate the "empty space". Will my voice leave more empty space than does your voice? Does a voice-over professional fill more of the empty space than I would? Does the FCC have a rule on maximum allowable empty-space? Do NCE and LPFM stations have to meet the same requirements as commercial FMs in filling that empty space?

I think talk is great in FM. I really like to hear my favorite shows in crisp clear FM. I love what Clear Cahnnel is doing, putting as many of it's talk stations on FM as possible.

AM is best for foreign language.