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Talk Radio belongs on AM, Not FM
- Thread starter XCountry285
- Start date
Sorry I didn't reply earlier. AM can be saved. It can still be used for hometown radio, which at least still works here in New England. It is capable of more than 10kc. of fidelity but is neutered by the F.C.C.'s NRSC mask. AM also suffers from FCC inaction with respect to interference sources. It is the only place an average person can still get in on the ground floor & if they want to, eventually buy a station. Why isn't AM being saved more? Because we've been deluded into thinking that AM is dying & it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. Quit badmouthing AM, talk up its good points & breathe new life into it. The Attleboro, Massachusetts Sun-Chronicle just ran an article about that town's cable access station providing emergency communications for a wide over the town's AM station. The literature provided by the cable station called AM radio the gold standard. Why? Because last August when high winds knocked down powerlines, only 6-12% of the residents could still turn on their cable TVs but could still turn on AM radio. What belongs on AM? Hometown voices, civic pride.
Too much noise, and it;s only getting worse. Saying that talk shouldn't be on FM sounds a little like back in the day some thought you shouldn;t play "AM Music" n FM, because FM should be for "FM Music" (progressive rock)
Most of the morning FM music shows I listen to are doing talk. Listeners don't realize its talk radio since the subjects are American Idol, Jersey Shore, top 10 pickup lines etc. We're listening to talk anyway whether is AM or FM. I see a market later for FM talk that in addition to having political shows have comedy, lifestyle, medical (yee-hah) and comedy-political-commentary like John Stewart.
The morning shows on FM are much more enjoyable and positive than any of the stuff coming from the political talk show hosts that try to indoctrinate you into their company's belief system.
It's a fact that listening to talker like Hannity, Rush, Maddow, etc., on a regular basis adversely affects your mood, the way you view others and very importantly your health, including blood pressure.
It's a fact that listening to talker like Hannity, Rush, Maddow, etc., on a regular basis adversely affects your mood, the way you view others and very importantly your health, including blood pressure.
josh said:
I don't know if it is a FACT or not, but I agree with you. It is my personal observation that what you say is true. I know what it does to my own blood pressure. I can see what it does to the blood pressure of people I talk with... both those I agree with and those I do not agree with.
The question that we need to spend more time on... a question for which we may not find an answer... does having citizens listen to foaming-at-the-mouth radio and tv do anything to help the American scene... does it do anything to hurt the American scene.
I am totally FOR free expression... when carried on by functioning adults with reasonable amounts of sanity. I did talk radio long before it became cool to quote an old country music song. I like to think I not only allowed listeners to think for themselves... I basically forced them to think by always insisting on looking at both sides of the issue. Time has proven you can make a lot more money playing demagogue and pandering to non-functional pseudo-adults with questionalbe abount of sanity.
josh said:
I've also heard reports that prostates enlarge as well.
I
in3media_be1
Guest
Some posts from this thread have been moved to Take It Outside
http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php?topic=208775.msg1868027#msg1868027
http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php?topic=208775.msg1868027#msg1868027
AM does have various reception problems (interference, power downs etc) and FM has proven
to be a solution.
--Younger people especially don't even know AM exists or have no reason to go there
--SOME AM stations can do half decently with talk, local or syndicated, on AM. But every
town needs one or two powerful FM signals for the format (more if you include NPR/public).
Hopefully there will be enough FM music stations around.
--As for AM, perhaps some news-talk etc. but lately it's home to ethnic, religion,
_some_ news/talk/sports, local "hometown" stations etc
If FM, or AM, talk is dominated by shouters, extremists, and poorly done shows blame
listeners who seem to prefer it. Though if it's done poorly eventually it could die out
if someone comes along with a better quality product. Of course companies may not pay
as much attention to talk, etc. if it gets an older demo and lower ratings though you'd
think they SHOULD and could do better.
Took tour this week of WATD Marshfield MA, an FM that "gets it". Full service: AC music,
news-talk-public affairs, specialty shows, serves the community, the staff loves working
there and it shows. Local, and done well. We need more of that.
And maybe there are indeed still some stations like that on AM...you know, the ones
that aren't running all-syndie and are staying local as much as possible. They're also
the ones that don't come in at night...who get all kinds of interference...
There is room on FM for well done talk, sports, etc., as well as music. It may not please
everyone but can attract more people than AM. And 80 per cent of radio listeners tune to FM.
>>Most of the morning FM music shows I listen to are doing talk. Listeners don't realize its talk radio since the subjects are American Idol, Jersey Shore, top 10 pickup lines etc. We're listening to talk anyway whether is AM or FM.
Very true
btw AM may not be dead. It could well be saved and live on, but right now the market is
focused on FM.
to be a solution.
--Younger people especially don't even know AM exists or have no reason to go there
--SOME AM stations can do half decently with talk, local or syndicated, on AM. But every
town needs one or two powerful FM signals for the format (more if you include NPR/public).
Hopefully there will be enough FM music stations around.
--As for AM, perhaps some news-talk etc. but lately it's home to ethnic, religion,
_some_ news/talk/sports, local "hometown" stations etc
If FM, or AM, talk is dominated by shouters, extremists, and poorly done shows blame
listeners who seem to prefer it. Though if it's done poorly eventually it could die out
if someone comes along with a better quality product. Of course companies may not pay
as much attention to talk, etc. if it gets an older demo and lower ratings though you'd
think they SHOULD and could do better.
Took tour this week of WATD Marshfield MA, an FM that "gets it". Full service: AC music,
news-talk-public affairs, specialty shows, serves the community, the staff loves working
there and it shows. Local, and done well. We need more of that.
And maybe there are indeed still some stations like that on AM...you know, the ones
that aren't running all-syndie and are staying local as much as possible. They're also
the ones that don't come in at night...who get all kinds of interference...
There is room on FM for well done talk, sports, etc., as well as music. It may not please
everyone but can attract more people than AM. And 80 per cent of radio listeners tune to FM.
>>Most of the morning FM music shows I listen to are doing talk. Listeners don't realize its talk radio since the subjects are American Idol, Jersey Shore, top 10 pickup lines etc. We're listening to talk anyway whether is AM or FM.
Very true
btw AM may not be dead. It could well be saved and live on, but right now the market is
focused on FM.
>>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.
Indeed; to quote Jesus Christ Superstar, what's the buzz, tell me what's a-happenin'. Agreed with the above. Yeah, AM should stick around maybe for some stuff, but for interference free-listening, etc., FM wins. Even for talk.
Indeed; to quote Jesus Christ Superstar, what's the buzz, tell me what's a-happenin'. Agreed with the above. Yeah, AM should stick around maybe for some stuff, but for interference free-listening, etc., FM wins. Even for talk.
HotTalker said:
A case might be made that in the "early days" of talk radio as we know it today, those days before Rush and others built some traction in the market place, Talk did need AM. I may be wrong but I would propose that back then only desperate AM owners were willing to gamble with this unproven new form of programming. It was a time when TALK NEEDED AM.
If through some cataclysmic combination of legal, regulatory and revenue reasons the AM band was rather abruptly aborted, how much of today's Talk Radio would find a home on FM stations?
N
nocomradio
Guest
Goat Rodeo Cowboy said:
I doubt much of it could survive if that were the case. Sure some listeners would follow no matter what, but if the FM band were to change that abruptly overnight, I suspect that there would be a lot of people leaving in droves. You couldn't play a talk station all day long in your dentist office, or place of business like you can with music formatted stations. Well, you could, but the arguments from your clients might get a little ugly......
C
cd637299
Guest
recto101 said:
I think that terrestrial radio will be around for some time, if for no other reason, for local news, weather, traffic, etc. for your friendly commuter. XM/Sirius would not help when you are stuck on Interstate 95. And not everybody has/wants GPS in their car. (I drive a 2010 model car, and GPS was not included...is it mandatory now? Dunno.)
With iBiquity sealing the deal with automakers, the push for HD (of which local stations are needed) continues, the lack of *home* HD receivers notwithstanding.
That being said, I think that for terrestrial to survive, they need to show that they are necessary in the local community. "Glamorized" TIS's, if you will.
cd
Gentlemen,
Until we have unlimited cellular data service in cars, Internet radio in cars is not viable. With the telecoms capping bandwidth on cellular data plans and getting stingy, won't happen. So, no go. XM/Sirius needs to get rid of the conservative playlists and diversify it's content and make themselves worth paying for. I'd much rather have Muzak programming in my car and would pay for their present offerings.
Until we have unlimited cellular data service in cars, Internet radio in cars is not viable. With the telecoms capping bandwidth on cellular data plans and getting stingy, won't happen. So, no go. XM/Sirius needs to get rid of the conservative playlists and diversify it's content and make themselves worth paying for. I'd much rather have Muzak programming in my car and would pay for their present offerings.
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