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November 16, 2021 9:32 am  #1


Want To Hear What AM Stereo Sounded Like? Here's Where You Still Can

You won't need a special radio - just your phone or PC. WION, a station in the small town of Ionia, Michigan has been stubbornly broadcasting in AM stereo for years, despite the fact there aren't likely any listeners who can actually hear it. 

But you can.

Their online stream is taken directly from an AM stereo radio which is uplinked to the Internet - which means it's the closest you'll ever get to being able to hear what that now mostly defunct technology sounded like. 

As a bonus, the station is described as having an eclectic oldies format, which means instead of the same 300 songs over and over, they play some tunes you haven't heard in a while. But it's the chance to check out their stereo feed that I find the most interesting. The steps you have to go through to get to the live stream on their site are way too complicated, so here's the shortcut if you want to check it out. 

WION website

 

November 16, 2021 11:28 am  #2


Re: Want To Hear What AM Stereo Sounded Like? Here's Where You Still Can

It was down for quite awhile - so it's good to see the stream back up again.


Cheers,
Jody Thornton
 
 

November 16, 2021 12:00 pm  #3


Re: Want To Hear What AM Stereo Sounded Like? Here's Where You Still Can

I only experienced AM stereo once. Back in the early 90s I drove a rental Chrysler for a couple of days. That was when AM radio still played music. It really enhanced the sound.


I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.
 

November 16, 2021 12:33 pm  #4


Re: Want To Hear What AM Stereo Sounded Like? Here's Where You Still Can

A great little community radio station!  I have been listening for half an hour and really like the two hosts mid morning, very chatty.  They have only played three songs in half an hour so music is not their main focus at least mid morning.  Sounds like they may be more talk/personality with classic hits.  Wouldn't call them oldies since two of the three songs I heard were 80's. 

The AM stereo is just so/so.  Poor separation on the Zombie's Time of the Season. Sounded like 75% of the song was coming out of one channel.  Personally AM stereo didn't do a lot for me and it made AM stations look like they were trying to compete with FM with a system that was only half as good.  AM stereo still had the limitations of the AM band with the snap, crackle and pops...but this time in stereo!