RE: [AMRadio] FCC and AM on the BC band
Phil Sounds like the owner of KGIL 1260 in so calif, he was offered a pot full of money and said buzz off. good to have a few good owners left Brad KB7FQR -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Phil Galasso Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2006 7:50 PM To: Discussion of AM Radio Subject: Re: [AMRadio] FCC and AM on the BC band - Original Message - > On more than one > occasion I was under that mixer board looking for a > source of an intermittant, or 60 hz hum source when > the disk jockey was saying things that I did not agree > with, or was playing music that made me want to vomit. One thing that I could never understand about broadcast engineers is why on earth do so many of them insist on putting the audio wiring under the console or in other places where you have to be a contortionist if you have to troubleshoot something or if you want to change a source into the board? About 15 years ago, I was the assistant chief engineer at WJLK-AM/FM in Asbury Park, NJ. The AM program director wanted a new piece of equipment wired to the board in the air studio. I had to slither under the board to get at the punch blocks, keeping my head propped up with a phone book! When my current employer decided to replace the mixer boards in several studios, I was determined that no wiring was to be connected anywhere inside the studio furniture. In those studios, all of the punch blocks are located inside small metal cabinets that are mounted on the wall at eye level. The lines going into and out of the board are multipair cables that run directly to the punch blocks. Other multipair cables are terminated with audio connectors on one end and run to the punch blocks on the other end. If someone wants something changed in these studios, it only takes about ten minutes. The cabinets are made by Leviton and they are available at the major home improvement chains for about $50 each. The decline of many AM broadcast stations is part of a vicious cycle. When the FCC lifted ownership limits and allowed stations to run unattended, a feeding frenzy resulted in companies buying up numerous stations, with the prices of such stations going through the roof. As the prices went up, stations cut staff and went to automation and syndicated programming. This drove away listeners and smaller audiences meant smaller revenue. So the stations made even more cuts and the results can be seen in the station that you mentioned. The most successful AM broadcast stations are those that run locally oriented programming, including lots of local news. The format can be anything that people in that community like and that is not offered by numerous other stations. There is a small AM station in Wisconsin that broadcasts an all-polka format, with local news and local features. The people love it! Those stations that simply "pot up the bird" are not offering anything that people cannot hear on Sirius and XM...except, maybe, for commercials. This goes for FM radio as well. WKXW-FM in Trenton, NJ runs a talk format that is all over the road politically...but it is strictly oriented toward New Jersey, a state that is usually ignored by stations in New York City and Philadelphia. It is the most listened-to station in that state, beating WABC, WOR, and other talk stations that run a high percentage of syndicated programming. Air America? That syndicated service is headed for bankruptcy. Phil Galasso K2PG Broadcast Engineer for 34 years __ AMRadio mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.html Post: mailto:AMRadio@mailman.qth.net AMfone Website: http://www.amfone.net AM List Admin: Brian Sherrod/w5ami, Paul Courson/wa3vjb
Re: [AMRadio] FCC and AM on the BC band
- Original Message - > On more than one > occasion I was under that mixer board looking for a > source of an intermittant, or 60 hz hum source when > the disk jockey was saying things that I did not agree > with, or was playing music that made me want to vomit. One thing that I could never understand about broadcast engineers is why on earth do so many of them insist on putting the audio wiring under the console or in other places where you have to be a contortionist if you have to troubleshoot something or if you want to change a source into the board? About 15 years ago, I was the assistant chief engineer at WJLK-AM/FM in Asbury Park, NJ. The AM program director wanted a new piece of equipment wired to the board in the air studio. I had to slither under the board to get at the punch blocks, keeping my head propped up with a phone book! When my current employer decided to replace the mixer boards in several studios, I was determined that no wiring was to be connected anywhere inside the studio furniture. In those studios, all of the punch blocks are located inside small metal cabinets that are mounted on the wall at eye level. The lines going into and out of the board are multipair cables that run directly to the punch blocks. Other multipair cables are terminated with audio connectors on one end and run to the punch blocks on the other end. If someone wants something changed in these studios, it only takes about ten minutes. The cabinets are made by Leviton and they are available at the major home improvement chains for about $50 each. The decline of many AM broadcast stations is part of a vicious cycle. When the FCC lifted ownership limits and allowed stations to run unattended, a feeding frenzy resulted in companies buying up numerous stations, with the prices of such stations going through the roof. As the prices went up, stations cut staff and went to automation and syndicated programming. This drove away listeners and smaller audiences meant smaller revenue. So the stations made even more cuts and the results can be seen in the station that you mentioned. The most successful AM broadcast stations are those that run locally oriented programming, including lots of local news. The format can be anything that people in that community like and that is not offered by numerous other stations. There is a small AM station in Wisconsin that broadcasts an all-polka format, with local news and local features. The people love it! Those stations that simply "pot up the bird" are not offering anything that people cannot hear on Sirius and XM...except, maybe, for commercials. This goes for FM radio as well. WKXW-FM in Trenton, NJ runs a talk format that is all over the road politically...but it is strictly oriented toward New Jersey, a state that is usually ignored by stations in New York City and Philadelphia. It is the most listened-to station in that state, beating WABC, WOR, and other talk stations that run a high percentage of syndicated programming. Air America? That syndicated service is headed for bankruptcy. Phil Galasso K2PG Broadcast Engineer for 34 years
Re: [AMRadio] FCC and AM on the BC band
Jim Candela wrote: Ken, I guess it was me that brought up the KOKE AM 1600 issue with voice over IP, quality, dead air, etc. I however did not mention anything about programming content. Somebody else did that. It has been a good long while since I worked in a AM station as a broadcast engineer (1st FCC licensee here), EX-first class licensee.. the 1st class doesn't exist, anymore (damnit)
Re: [AMRadio] FCC and AM on the BC band
Ken, I guess it was me that brought up the KOKE AM 1600 issue with voice over IP, quality, dead air, etc. I however did not mention anything about programming content. Somebody else did that. It has been a good long while since I worked in a AM station as a broadcast engineer (1st FCC licensee here), but I always recall striving for broadcasting excellence regardless of content. On more than one occasion I was under that mixer board looking for a source of an intermittant, or 60 hz hum source when the disk jockey was saying things that I did not agree with, or was playing music that made me want to vomit. Still, I set the board to achieve full modulation, with crystal clear audio. It was in that spirit I brought up KOKE AM 1600 in Austin since this station stands out in a way that it is unlistenable due to dead air, cut-outs (voip), over modulation, etc. Regards, Jim WD5JKO --- Ken Zuercher <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Sorry I just got around to reading this for a reply. > The prime cause of wierdness in programming and > quality is that there is rarely anyone minding the > store at Commercial stations, especially AM. The > stations are being run by computers, Usually windows > machines that are riddled with bugs. The engineers > are > like me, a contractor that isn't on staff and only > called in ocassionally. Thing happen to the systems > and you get dead air, multiple sources on the > air,etc. > I also think that political commentary doesn't > belong > on this or any other ham radio list. Considering > that > 90% of the AM talkers are of the right wing variety, > comments about Air America should be best kept to > one > self. Not all of us think alike and that's a very > good > thing. If we did, we all would have only rice box > rigs. > Ken KC8QO > > --- VJB <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > The FCC is allowing the quality of AM signals to > > deteriorate, but it's been over a very long period > > of > > time. > > > > First there was the neglect of receiver standards > > which could have forced car radio and home tuner > > manufactuers to comply with minimum specs on > > selectivity and audio fidelity. Many industry > > observers feel this could have been established > > during > > the "AM Stereo" controversy. > > > > Then, after failing to do that, the FCC allowed > the > > industry to propose and implement a 9 kHz > > transmitted > > bandwidth standard, ostensibly to minimize > adjacent > > channel interference. > > > > In the time since digital decoding and encoding > > became > > a successor to the (sometimes) equalized metallic > > pair > > between studio and transmitter, there has not been > > enough industry interest at making sure digital > > artifacts are held to a minimum > > > > Lately, the industry jumped on the "digital" > > bandwagon > > that rolled through television then FM, to > > voluntarily > > try to implement In-Band, On-Channel digital > service > > on contemporary AM frequencies. > > > > The side effects of this system spread > interference > > well past 15 to 20 Kc from center frequency, as a > > function of trying to match (not beat) the kind of > > analog audio quality our parents remember when > they > > were tuned to AM on the old wooden floor console > > that > > served as the Home Entertainment Center in those > > pre-TV days. > > > > Paul/VJB > > > > > > __ > > Do You Yahoo!? > > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam > > protection around > > http://mail.yahoo.com > > > __ > > AMRadio mailing list > > Home: > > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio > > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.html > > Post: mailto:AMRadio@mailman.qth.net > > AMfone Website: http://www.amfone.net > > AM List Admin: Brian Sherrod/w5ami, Paul > > Courson/wa3vjb > > > > __ > AMRadio mailing list > Home: > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.html > Post: mailto:AMRadio@mailman.qth.net > AMfone Website: http://www.amfone.net > AM List Admin: Brian Sherrod/w5ami, Paul > Courson/wa3vjb >
Re: [AMRadio] FCC and AM on the BC band
Sorry I just got around to reading this for a reply. The prime cause of wierdness in programming and quality is that there is rarely anyone minding the store at Commercial stations, especially AM. The stations are being run by computers, Usually windows machines that are riddled with bugs. The engineers are like me, a contractor that isn't on staff and only called in ocassionally. Thing happen to the systems and you get dead air, multiple sources on the air,etc. I also think that political commentary doesn't belong on this or any other ham radio list. Considering that 90% of the AM talkers are of the right wing variety, comments about Air America should be best kept to one self. Not all of us think alike and that's a very good thing. If we did, we all would have only rice box rigs. Ken KC8QO --- VJB <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > The FCC is allowing the quality of AM signals to > deteriorate, but it's been over a very long period > of > time. > > First there was the neglect of receiver standards > which could have forced car radio and home tuner > manufactuers to comply with minimum specs on > selectivity and audio fidelity. Many industry > observers feel this could have been established > during > the "AM Stereo" controversy. > > Then, after failing to do that, the FCC allowed the > industry to propose and implement a 9 kHz > transmitted > bandwidth standard, ostensibly to minimize adjacent > channel interference. > > In the time since digital decoding and encoding > became > a successor to the (sometimes) equalized metallic > pair > between studio and transmitter, there has not been > enough industry interest at making sure digital > artifacts are held to a minimum > > Lately, the industry jumped on the "digital" > bandwagon > that rolled through television then FM, to > voluntarily > try to implement In-Band, On-Channel digital service > on contemporary AM frequencies. > > The side effects of this system spread interference > well past 15 to 20 Kc from center frequency, as a > function of trying to match (not beat) the kind of > analog audio quality our parents remember when they > were tuned to AM on the old wooden floor console > that > served as the Home Entertainment Center in those > pre-TV days. > > Paul/VJB > > > __ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam > protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > __ > AMRadio mailing list > Home: > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.html > Post: mailto:AMRadio@mailman.qth.net > AMfone Website: http://www.amfone.net > AM List Admin: Brian Sherrod/w5ami, Paul > Courson/wa3vjb >
Re: [AMRadio] FCC and AM on the BC band
VJB wrote: The FCC is allowing the quality of AM signals to deteriorate, but it's been over a very long period of time. ~snippage~ The side effects of this system spread interference well past 15 to 20 Kc from center frequency, as a function of trying to match (not beat) the kind of analog audio quality our parents remember when they were tuned to AM on the old wooden floor console that served as the Home Entertainment Center in those pre-TV days. Do I understand you to say that now a days, if some one gives you a 'broadcast quality' report, you can still not be sure if they're being complimentary or not? Just requesting a clarificatoin, and to see what it's got to do with Ham AM RAdio. -- Geoff/W5OMR
