Digital AM and FM Soon!
- Thread starter Dominic
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Patman
Staff member
I like this! Then I can listen to Howard Stern in the morning without all the static! (since I have to pick it up from a Buffalo station, they kicked him off our Toronto station)
MolaKule
Staff member
MolaKule
Staff member
Radio Prepares for Move to Digital
Washington Post 10/10/02
author: David Ho / Associated Press
Copyright 2001, The Washington Post Co. All Rights Reserved
WASHINGTON - Radio stations around the nation are preparing to adopt new digital technology that would give the medium its biggest makeover in
decades by improving sound quality and supplying news and information on demand.
Digital radio's rollout could begin in a few months in major cities. Manufacturers plan to sell digital receivers in car stereos and high-end audio systems next
year, adding about $100 to the price of a traditional unit.
Industry officials and analysts say they expect the Federal Communications Commission to approve on Thursday a digital radio standard created by
iBiquity Digital Corp., a company backed by large broadcasters including ABC and Viacom.
"It would be a huge surprise if they did not," said Laura Behrens, a research analyst with GartnerG2 in San Jose, Calif. She said backers of the technology
are "geared up and ready to go."
Supporters say the new technology will bring CD-quality sound to FM broadcasts, an end to static for AM and new data features.
Radio One Inc., which owns and operates 65 stations and primarily targets black listeners, has already ordered digital transmitters, said John Mathews,
the company's director of engineering. He said the Lanham, Md.-based company plans to start digital broadcasts within three months in Atlanta, Boston,
Dallas, Detroit and Los Angeles.
"We wanted to be in the front on this," he said. "The quality improvement is just phenomenal. It's analogous to the transition between cassettes and CDs."
Some digital car stereos will have small screens, displaying pictures of the artist whose song is playing, news or advertising. Others will allow listeners to
choose to hear reports on stocks, sports, weather and traffic.
The digital broadcasts will be free, unlike the subscriber services offered by Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio Holdings, which beam music and
talk to radios from satellites.
The iBiquity technology allows broadcasters to use their existing airwaves and simultaneously send digital and analog signals. Listeners won't have to buy a
new radio to continue listening to their favorite stations, but will if they want better sound and other options.
Digital broadcasts use the same language as computers a series of on and off electronic pulses. Broadcasts with the proposed technology won't increase a
radio station's range, but digital signals can be cleaned up, removing garble and uneven reception.
Washington Post 10/10/02
author: David Ho / Associated Press
Copyright 2001, The Washington Post Co. All Rights Reserved
WASHINGTON - Radio stations around the nation are preparing to adopt new digital technology that would give the medium its biggest makeover in
decades by improving sound quality and supplying news and information on demand.
Digital radio's rollout could begin in a few months in major cities. Manufacturers plan to sell digital receivers in car stereos and high-end audio systems next
year, adding about $100 to the price of a traditional unit.
Industry officials and analysts say they expect the Federal Communications Commission to approve on Thursday a digital radio standard created by
iBiquity Digital Corp., a company backed by large broadcasters including ABC and Viacom.
"It would be a huge surprise if they did not," said Laura Behrens, a research analyst with GartnerG2 in San Jose, Calif. She said backers of the technology
are "geared up and ready to go."
Supporters say the new technology will bring CD-quality sound to FM broadcasts, an end to static for AM and new data features.
Radio One Inc., which owns and operates 65 stations and primarily targets black listeners, has already ordered digital transmitters, said John Mathews,
the company's director of engineering. He said the Lanham, Md.-based company plans to start digital broadcasts within three months in Atlanta, Boston,
Dallas, Detroit and Los Angeles.
"We wanted to be in the front on this," he said. "The quality improvement is just phenomenal. It's analogous to the transition between cassettes and CDs."
Some digital car stereos will have small screens, displaying pictures of the artist whose song is playing, news or advertising. Others will allow listeners to
choose to hear reports on stocks, sports, weather and traffic.
The digital broadcasts will be free, unlike the subscriber services offered by Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio Holdings, which beam music and
talk to radios from satellites.
The iBiquity technology allows broadcasters to use their existing airwaves and simultaneously send digital and analog signals. Listeners won't have to buy a
new radio to continue listening to their favorite stations, but will if they want better sound and other options.
Digital broadcasts use the same language as computers a series of on and off electronic pulses. Broadcasts with the proposed technology won't increase a
radio station's range, but digital signals can be cleaned up, removing garble and uneven reception.
MolaKule
Staff member
Patman,
Unfortunately, the digitial AM will only be available in the daytime hours, due to adjacent channel interference. I know they are working on this problem.
The only drawback to this digital technology is it requires a wider bandwidth and eats up
space for potential new stations. The old channel width for FM was 200 kHz,; the new channel width is about 400 khz. So while its called "In-Band On-Channel" it eats up extra bandwidth. The only positive thing about this is it is voluntary, for now.
The FCC, IMHO, has cowered to the large station chains and is severely restricting new station entries close than three channels to existing stations.
Unfortunately, the digitial AM will only be available in the daytime hours, due to adjacent channel interference. I know they are working on this problem.
The only drawback to this digital technology is it requires a wider bandwidth and eats up
space for potential new stations. The old channel width for FM was 200 kHz,; the new channel width is about 400 khz. So while its called "In-Band On-Channel" it eats up extra bandwidth. The only positive thing about this is it is voluntary, for now.
The FCC, IMHO, has cowered to the large station chains and is severely restricting new station entries close than three channels to existing stations.
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