Re: [IRCA] WHY AM STATIONS ARE DISAPPEARING

[Russ Edmunds <wb2bjh@xxxxxxxxx>]

--- Patrick Martin <mwdxer@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Eric,
> 
> Very interesting. "If" the average FM station makes 6 times te money
> that an AM makes, what does that say about the future of AM radio?
> AM/SW
> stations in a lot of the world have been signing off for FM for years
> now. Is the U.S. behind the times, holding on to it's thousands of AM
> stations? Maybe a few of the old timers that forecast 25 years or
> more
> ago that in time there will be very few AM stations left in the U.S.,
> maybe right. But as usual, it will take time. 20 years from now, what
> will the Canadian AM dial look like?
> 



I would first caution that presuming that what occurs in Canada will
also occur the same way in the US is a risky proposition. Second, we
should note that at least some of the authorities in Canada have been
pushing this.

That said, some of the points noted are valid and also apply to the US.
Ad revenues are better for FM in most places. Biggest reason affecting 
stations in Canada as well as those in the US is listeners -- most of
the music went to FM in both countries some time ago, and took a lot of
listeners with it.

Another difference is that because Canada developed differently in a
geographic sense than did the US, Canada also didn't develop the number
of smaller local stations on AM ( and that probably inaccurately
discounts any spectrum management activities in Canada years ago about
which I have no info ).

Not a lot of people under 50 and even fewer under 40 regularly listen
to AM in the US, and if they do it's usually short snips of news
stations. Within some of our lifetimes, AM may cease to exist although
that might depend on how many of us now in our 50's and 60's make it
into our 90's....

Russ Edmunds
Blue Bell, PA ( 360' ASL )
[15 mi NNW of Philadelphia]
40:08:45N; 75:16:04W, Grid FN20id
<wb2bjh@xxxxxxxxx>
FM: Yamaha T-80 & Onkyo T-450RDS w/ APS9B @15'
AM: Hammarlund HQ-150 & 4' FET air core loop


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