The following is copied with permission from Scott Fybush's Northeast Radio Watch.
(http://www.fybush.com/nerw.html) *Will one of the flashpoints in the coming battle over HD Radio on AM at night end up being upstate NEW YORK? It's starting to look that way, thanks to Bob Savage, founder and owner of WYSL (1040 Avon). The famously independent broadcaster (and longtime friend of this column and its editor) has been stirring up a hornet's nest with his "call to action" for fellow small AM stations facing what he says will be ruinous interference from nighttime HD broadcasts on the AM dial. In Savage's case, his 500-watt night signal, which does a surprisingly good job of reaching Rochester, 20 miles to the north, will likely be all but extinguished (possibly even within its own city of license, Savage says) on many nights by the digital sidebands from WBZ (1030 Boston). Savage says he's received support for his campaign from several big guns in the industry, including WSM (650 Nashville) chief engineer Watt Hairston, and he's asking other stations in similar situations to his to contact Congress and the NAB to call for action to save their signals from interference. "Any gain from implementation of HD-AM, no matter how slight, will come at the expense of massive trauma to small and medium market AM operators," says Savage. He says he stands to lose a significant amount of sports revenue - and potentially a good chunk of his retirement, too, having staked it on the success of WYSL - if the station can't be heard at night. Could WYSL end up being one of the test cases for the interference disputes that are bound to arise come mid-September, when nighttime HD on AM is legalized? We'll be listening. Thanks to Scott for allowing this copyrighted material to be shared with the rest of us. And best of luck to Mr. Savage of WYSL and other AM operators who can foresee the nightmare of night-time IBOC and are willing to fight for their rights. -- Marc DeLorenzo South Dennis, MA http://hometown.aol.com/midcapemarc/myhomepage/profile.html _______________________________________________ IRCA mailing list [email protected] http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org To Post a message: [email protected]
