AM Radio 2020

[Ed Joseph]

All I hope is IBOC goes away on AM. It's actually hurting the band.

[Deleted User 14888]

I totally agree, it’s a waste for AM and FM just a scam from the beginning way back in the late 90’s, the only reason it was developed was so the big broadcasters could try to thwart of satellite radio, they had a fear satellite radio would kill terrestrial radio, low and behold that was not the case. And now today no one cares about HD Radio.

[Ed Joseph]

I totally agree, it’s a waste for AM and FM just a scam from the beginning way back in the late 90’s, the only reason it was developed was so the big broadcasters could try to thwart of satellite radio, they had a fear satellite radio would kill terrestrial radio, low and behold that was not the case. And now today no one cares about HD Radio.

Radio is it's own worst enemy anymore. HD *might* have made better penetration with DRM instead of IBOC. The problem isn't, as most say, people don't WANT to buy new radios, many *would* but just can't afford to anymore. However, with IBOC, those without HD radios heard all the hype on how it's "CD Quality", blah, blah, blah, but what they HEARD after stations "upgraded" to HD on the analog side was totally reduced fidelity and problems picking up stations now buried under HD hiss. What the heck are they "supposed" to think of it? Very few people even consider that point. And *most* of the HD2 channels are nothing but the same crap that's already being done elsewhere on the dial. Many simply simulcast an AM from a broom closet someplace.

Are HD subs commercial-free? Perhaps a few, but most are likely still chock full of six minute stopset every five minutes. People really see no benefit in coughing up cash for HD reception.

AM needs to come up with programming that is worth listening to. Same for FM. Just look how many sound-alike formats there are all over the dial. Radio is radio. People either like what they hear, or they don't. And when that same-old crappy format drops you six minutes of marketing more often than not, they're going to tune out even faster. Hmmm... maybe if there were LESS avails, the value would be better? Then, there's the fact that very few stations seem to be able to master the art of simply avoiding dead air. I think every time I scan the radio, I come upon at least one dead carrier, and almost always, it's a Cume-U-Less station in this market. Just crazy. I can program my free automation software that seems to chug on for weeks or months without a glitch. Heck, even Winamp or AIMP3 can go weeks on shuffle as long as you don't have corrupted or truncated files. It just amazes me how sloppy radio sounds nowdays.

[Deleted User 14888]

I think the Deregulation In 1996 was the worst thing to happen to the industry, my last job in Radio was at KKNX in Eugene, Oregon AM 840, I worked there in ‘96, the owners were a Married Couple, it was just a mom and pop operation, but it was the best radio gig I had in my 22 years of being in the business, from what I know they still own the station and it’s still an Oldies format, it’s the big corporations that have and still are destroying the business thanks to deregulation, in that I mean the IHearts, Cumulus and Entercom’s can own many properties in one market and clone formats nationwide, just look at this Breeze format it’s everywhere, it’s sad what has happened to the industry, and I hate to say it but I’m glad I’m retired.