I'm going to be optimistic. There are millions of medium wave (AM) radios out there. Even through some folks are unable to operate this complicated device that consists of two controls; a tuning and volume knob. I believe AM will continue for decades to come. A couple of reasons. 1) I could be wrong about this but the RF spectrum is not too useful for much else. 2) The signal goes further per watt and propagates well at night which is an advantage in some cases. 3) Modern AM transmitting facilities have about a 50 year (or longer) life span. 4) Good content is good content, folks will listen to AM is the content is compelling enough.

What will probably happen is a significant number of stations will go silent as their aging transmitter facilities reach the end of their life. This will reduce some of the congestion on the band. Stations with desirable programming that make money will prevail.

 

An interesting suggestion, but where would they put it? There's no room for anything on the FM dial for a new station, unless they chose to alter an existing station, like CKIS-FM. I think AM740 and CKDO took the last available repeater frequencies here. Can't fathom where any newcomers would go.

RadioActive wrote:

An interesting suggestion, but where would they put it? There's no room for anything on the FM dial for a new station, unless they chose to alter an existing station, like CKIS-FM. I think AM740 and CKDO took the last available repeater frequencies here. Can't fathom where any newcomers would go.

This will be taken care of by the inevitable loosening of ownership limits. Think CityNews 96.3.

RadioActive wrote:

An interesting suggestion, but where would they put it? There's no room for anything on the FM dial for a new station, unless they chose to alter an existing station, like CKIS-FM. I think AM740 and CKDO took the last available repeater frequencies here. Can't fathom where any newcomers would go.

Digital FM. Rogers and Bell already have their AM stations on FM digital repeaters. I expect when Corus adds digital FM to CFNY and/or Q-107 they'll also put in an FM digital repeater for GNR. The smaller AMs are out of luck though. 740 has both an analog and a digital FM repeater, and CHIN-AM has a digital FM repeater too. A lot of cars and home stereo's don't have AM bands. I wouldn't be surprised if AM goes the way of shortwave in a few years - and if part of the band at least gets turned over to cell phone or some other use (if that's technically feasible). 

RadioAaron wrote:

Hansa wrote:

I expect when Corus adds digital FM to CFNY and/or Q-107 they'll also put in an FM digital repeater for GNR.

They're not going to do that. GNR is already covering the market for no listeners on 95.3 HD-2.

Good catch, I missed that. So all the major AMs have FM digital repeaters - all that has to happen now is for FM digital to become a "must carry" feature in cars. 
 

RadioAaron wrote:

Hansa wrote:

RadioAaron wrote:

They're not going to do that. GNR is already covering the market for no listeners on 95.3 HD-2.

Good catch, I missed that. So all the major AMs have FM digital repeaters - all that has to happen now is for FM digital to become a "must carry" feature in cars. 
 

Which also won't happen.

This whole idea of AM stations finding future audiences through HD or low-power second-adjacent repeaters is full 'Rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.' Current AM stations will only find a short-term lifeline on full-power FM signals, either though de-regulation or market forces killing existing music formats. 
 

Yeah, I was being slightly sarcastic. Still, I'm not as pessimistic. If a big state like California required cars to include FM HD as a feature it'll become standard and it's certainly not out of the question Congress would be successfully lobbied by large media companies to make it a requirement. It's not Republican Congressmen, for instance, are really going to be hostile to the idea of requiring automakers to make Conservative talk radio  more available. 
 

torontostan wrote:

RadioActive wrote:

An interesting suggestion, but where would they put it? There's no room for anything on the FM dial for a new station, unless they chose to alter an existing station, like CKIS-FM. I think AM740 and CKDO took the last available repeater frequencies here. Can't fathom where any newcomers would go.

To add another complexity: the CRTC considers CFZM-FM to be a full station as it relates to the commission's common ownership policy. Therefore CBC, Rogers, Bell, and Corus would not be allowed to add repeaters in Toronto (even if only 100 watts). If I recall correctly, even the CRTC Chair disagreed with the rest of the commission and published a dissent of sorts, but it didn't undue the damage. I think that was one of the nails in the coffin for AM in this city. Don't forget that our streetcar lines make AM unlistenable in much of the city.

I think repeaters are the only practical way to put off the inevitable death of AM. Bell or CHIN could use 101.3, Rogers could use 97.5, Corus could use 107.5, etc. Not saying that wouldn't be without its technical challenges (especially the CN tower stations) but it's worth looking into and getting engineers involved. Way more people would listen on an FM repeater than an HD subchannel on a different station. 

There may be two possible frequencies for low power FM repeaters, but the frequencies you cited, cannot work.  101.3 is licensed to CJSA which runs at the highest power permitted but it is short-spaced to other assignments. 97.5 is first adjacent to 97.3 Boom Toronto. Not going to happen.  In some cities ISED and the CRTC has permitted 2nd adjacent frequencies.  CFZM (96.3) operates on the 2nd adjacent frequency to CFZM (96.7).  But for an applicant to use the 2nd adjacent frequency - requires the consent of the incumbent station (e.g. 96.3).   CKDO also obtained permission from CFMZ to increase power from the same location, for their repeater.  That application was not approved by the CRTC, because you must demonstrate continued financial losses, and no increase in coverage area in order to obtain a Nested FM frequency.  That CRTC requirement has been tightened significantly in the past few years.  Regarding CFZM's 82 watt repeater at 96.3. It was Raj Shoan, the CRTC commissioner who was removed from his position by the Minister of Heritage, who wrote the dissent, arguing that the 82 watt repeater should not dis-entitle MZ Media from obtaining an additional FM frequency.  But that of course is moot since there are no frequencies that will "work", in terms of significant power/coverage given short spacing to the US. and other Canadian cities.  Even in BC, it was a multi-year battle to secure an 85 watt repeater frequency for CKYE, even though its signal was severely impacted from IBOC - 1st adjacent frequency interference from KISM which is a 50 KW flamethrower from Bellingham, WA, which is located just across the border from Vancouver.  I would speculate that if Durham Radio applied today for a syncronous repeater on 95.9 - from FCP, the CRTC would deny that application under its constantly changing "policies".  There is a totally different regulatory system in Canada that discourages FM repeaters for AM radio.  Last point, Canadian broadcasters have done a  terrible job "promoting" their AMs which use  HD-2 or HD-3 of their FM signals.  I don't recall hearing an on air promotion, but there are plenty of on-air promotions for streaming devices such as Alexa, Google etc.  I suspect that station management is banking on on-line streamng in the home, or perhaps they think they will be wide-spread adoption of streaming platform in connected vehicles - via TuneIn apps, etc.  I'm not certain I would bet the farm on streaming in cars...just yet.

Last edited by tvguy (January 1, 2022 1:59 pm)

If that's the case why bother having AM or even FM signals at all?