From: john@zygot.ati.com (John Higdon)
Subject: Re: AM radio needn't die
Originator: wdp@gagme
Organization: Green Hills and Cows
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 07:59:48 GMT



fybush@unixland.natick.ma.us (Scott Fybush) writes:

> Why give it up?  Is it costing anything to keep in place?

If you have ever maintained a stereo AM, I doubt that you would ask
that question. One must constantly adjust the STX to maintain any
reasonable separation and distortion characteristics. Even when
adjusted to the hilt, the negative modulation must be kept scrupulously
below 95% because of the junk radios out there that will break up due
to the phase shift components. That does not even take into account
those crappy Delco radios that actually lose sync and "pop"
annoyingly.

In short, it costs the station my time, loudness, and some distortion
on really cheap mono radios. (AM stereo is NOT 100% compatible,
regardless of the hype!)

> Why
> risk alienating listeners who might actually have AM stereo receivers
> and know how to use them?  There are a few of us out there.  In fact,
> if the station is the one I think it is (KSJX?) I've listened to it
> in stereo, and rather enjoyed the experience.

Well, thank you for making my point. If a radio junkie cannot even tell
what stations are stereo and which are not, then we might as well give
up on the public at large. KEEN is the ONLY AM station in the San Jose
market to employ stereo of any type, EVER. KSJX may have pleased you,
but it was NEVER stereo. I am not trying to embarass you, I am simply
pointing out how underwhelming AM stereo really is.

By the way, there have been stretches of time when KEEN was dead mono,
such as when the STX failed or when one of the STLs failed. The station
never, NEVER received one single call in many years that it has been
broadcasting in stereo to complain that there was no stereo. Sounds as
though the public would really be alienated if the station went mono.
Yeah, sure.

> Just ask KGO or KCBS or KNBR in your market.

Well, let's see:

KGO: 50KW, talk format, number one in fifty straight Arbitrons mono;

KCBS: 50KW, talk format mono;

KNBR: 50KW, talk format mono;

(all of the above 50KW day/night)

Hmmm... See a pattern? Incidently, while KNBR was still stereo it
almost went down the ratings drain. Just mentioning it; not suggesting
a cause/effect.

So I guess that I will concede that talk radio does just fine on AM.
But how many talk stations can a market support? Why do you suppose
that the rest of the stations (in LA for example) are also talk--in
Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, etc. Would someone care to name a 5KW AM
station with a music format that is doing well, both in the ratings and
in the revenue department?

> What's killing AM is the owners who think they can attach their
> station to Unistar or Satellite Music Network, run the equipment
> into the ground, abandon all promotion and any hint of local
> content, and then expect to make money off the whole deal.

Or at least that is what some of them do to keep from going bankrupt.
When the ratings fall through the floor and you have a bunch of
high-priced union jox on the payroll, things start to get a wee bit
tight. KEEN has had a quality country format presentation for decades.
It has had some of the best local jocks in the business. It now (for
survival) uses a satellite service from 7PM to 5AM. It did this after
it was backed into a corner, not the other way around as you state. It
just cannot compete with the other (FM) country in town. There is
nothing wrong with its signal and the audio is as good as NRSC AM can
offer.
KEEN has always had one of the best sounding signals in the market.
But it IS AM.

> The AM owners who take the time to put out and promote a well-done
> product can still profit off of it.

Again, can you name some? Leave out 50KW, please (we are not all so
blessed). Also, please stick to music formats, if you will.

-- 
        John Higdon         |   P. O. Box 7648   |   +1 408 264 4115
    john@zygot.ati.com      | San Jose, CA 95150 |       M o o !

Newsgroups: rec.radio.broadcasting