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Wow -- the Internet has been exploding! There has been much discussion on
Facebook, Radioworld.com and a plethora of other places about the proposal to
the FCC from Texas based Bryan Broadcasting Corp. in March to initiate a
proceeding to authorize the “MA3 all-digital mode of HD radio” for any
interested AM radio station.
Here is their 'op-ed' explaining why they are asking:
https://tinyurl.com/op-ed-whyMA3
The FCC has accepted that proposal, and is now soliciting comments. Make YOUR
voice heard. Don't BPM about this on Facebook or your blog, send your comments
to the FCC!
Don't talk about the 'hobby' -- that won't change anyone's mind who can make
decisions. They have already decided hobbyists don't matter. Instead, talk
about the technical side of why this will or will not work and explain YOUR
qualifications to make that technical judgment! (Do you have a First Class FCC
commercial license? Are you a trained RF engineer, Do you have 40+ years
experience in broadcasting, etc.)
Submit your comments here:
https://preview.tinyurl.com/FCC-AM3-comments
More detail can be had from the Radioworld announcement:
https://tinyurl.com/rw-overview-AM3
Make your voice heard. (Thanks to Paul Dobosz and Tom Doerr for passing along
web links for this!) And yes, this will be part of my next paper bulletin
column complete with screen shots of what the MA3 broadcasts actually 'look'
like in a 'real world' spectrum as opposed to just theory, and why the 'at the
option of each individual station as to when or whether to change' is
ultimately going to be the 'kiss of death' for this despite the fact that it is
being sold as the 'panacea' of the plan. (Anyone care to analogize to AM Stereo
standards with me?)
MY compromise solution? Create a sub-band. anyone who wants to switch can
switch, but they all move to one end of the band. (1450-1700?) That means some
stations that are already there will need to move if they don't want to flip to
IBOC. Maybe get iBiquity to pay for the
associated moving costs for those stations? -kvz
What are YOUR ideas? Please appreciate that 'leave it the same as always' is
likely not going to be a compelling argument as everyone has been talking about
the 'death of AM' for so long now that it has reached the status of 'big lie'
and it is assumed change needs to happen -- and that change has nothing to do
with programming or reducing band noise by revisiting FCC certifications since
those lobbies are too powerful! Ideas? If you are OK with it, I'll incorporate
your ideas into the column too!
But remember the deadline! The FCC is accepting statements opposing or
supporting the Bryan Broadcasting petition through May 11. Refer to RM No.
11836 and the “Petition for Rulemaking to Allow the MA3 All-Digital Mode of HD
Radio for AM Stations.” Your comments don't need to be long, but they should
be specific and backed by facts!
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MARE Tom Doerr passes along word of yet another broadcaster (WRNJ from
Hackettstown, New Jersey) that has thrown its two cents into this debate by
suggesting a 'final solution' to the "AM Problem". In this case, it too is
opining 'digital' is the answer, but rather than the proprietary, but actually
deployed IBOC, they are proposing something that not only there is no radio
currently on the market capable of receiving, but which is similarly unproven
in the 'real world.' The 'good' news is that it won't destroy AM further except
by de-populating the band.
It proposes both a new band (45-50 MHz) and a new modulation scheme: DRM+. I'm
not holding my breath waiting for this one! See
<https://tinyurl.com/AM-final-solution>
(MARE Tipsheet April 26 via DXLD)
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