It is easy to have seen this coming after Japan expanded their FM band and all the AM stations started moving to the upper FM band, plus all the special radio sales following that for radios including the expanded band. It seems the push in that direction was similar to that of a DTV switch for some countries with ample planning and advertising for it.

It's a shame though, if it were to occur, for the fact that Japan has some of the greatest variety on the AM dial with everything from educational content to heavy metal music. But with the technology, most people listen to FM instead, if they listen to radio at all in East Asia (China excluded).

Japan has one of the biggest DX scenes in the world and with their oddly-placed FM band, they can hear stations on FM from over 1000 miles away, just as a DX acquaintance in Taipei could hear Osaka stations almost every day via tropo across the water in the summer at 1,100 miles with no other stations on that part of the FM band. And I would assume with the AM DX scene as well, those stations are great sources of things like QSLs for hobbyists in other countries and have superior engineering to other countries that helps their stations get out far and with great quality.

That would be a huge hit to the DXing hobby both inside and outside of Japan. But as I have learned, where a Japanese station is off the air, there is ALWAYS a Chinese station to take its place. Study up on your Mandarin.

-Chris Kadlec
Seoul AM Radio Listening Guide
www.chriskadlec.com/radio/seoul

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Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2019 22:20:12 +0000 (UTC)
From: Karl Zuk <karlzuk@yahoo.com>
Subject: Japan to end AM broadcasting?

>From The Japan Times website:

Japanese commercial broadcasters on Wednesday proposed a revision to the broadcast law that would allow them to ditch AM radio broadcasting due to issues over cost amid a decline in listenershipâ