[cma-l] AM for CR

[Tony Bailey]

MF/AM (medium/long wave) is a legacy system with older listeners 
predominantly, but we, the Aussies and Americans still find it useful.  
It is possible to listen to it on a battery powered radio which will run 
for days on a couple of AA's.  In the US they even extended the medium 
wave band, which could be done here now as many receivers cover up to 
1700 kHz. It's ability to cross boundaries has sometimes been useful 
although less cost effective now. As always, given relatively free 
access to broadcasting excess demand has driven the need to exploit any 
available waveband and this will continue until cheap mobile internet 
radio takes over.

There are a couple of ways I would look at AM community applications: 
Low power AM as a way to get a better deal on music licensing (fingers 
crossed!) for an essentially web only radio; or higher power AM coupled 
with an online (decent quality) receiver selling promotion to the served 
community.  As with FM the transmission site is critical.  Keep away 
from domestic housing and look for high ground conductivity, this is 
particularly important with short aerials (less than 1/4 wave).  To save 
costs, you could reduce power overnight as audience numbers will often 
be low and incoming interference high (the permitted power would not 
overcome it anyway).  There are still quite a few car radios with AM for 
the dedicated listeners.

Tony Bailey


On 17/02/16 02:45, James Cridland wrote:
> AM is being switched off all over Europe, including here in the UK.
>
> AM receivers are being removed from cars (BMW one of the first), will 
> never be in most microprocessor-powered electronics, like mobile phones.
>
> The sound quality is relatively dire, the electricity costs are huge, 
> the interference is growing, the user experience lacking, the audience 
> is falling away. Many AM masts are nearing the end of their life cycle.
>
> AM isn't an equivalent platform to FM, therefore; and you'd be crazy 
> to want to use it.
>
> (It is still quite large in Australia, for coverage reasons, 
> incidentally, but I still worry about its future here too).
>
>
>
> On Wed, 17 Feb 2016, 12:36 AM Ian Hickling <transplanfm at hotmail.com 
> <mailto:transplanfm at hotmail.com>> wrote:
>
>     We have been trying for over 8 months now to together a reliable
>     and predictable  AM transmission system together for a Client
>     (sadly not a CMA Member) who insists on taking an AM frequency
>     rather than pushing Ofcom for FM.
>     We're now looking at a 600W transmitter from Bulgaria.
>     Can I ask for some views please?
>     Does anyone have anything positive to say about Ofcom's policies of:
>
>       * Offering AM as an equivalental platform to FM?
>       * Offering only AM if an Applicant wants greater coverage than a
>         5km radius
>       * Offering AM licences on a countrywide basis in the second half
>         of 2016
>
>
>     Thanks for whatever you can contribute
>
>     *Ian Hickling*
>     Partner
>
>     <http://www.transplanuk.com/>
>     /Office: 01635 578435  (7am-11pm UK time)/
>     /Carphone: 07530 980115 (only responds when driving)/
>     /6 Horn Street, Compton, NEWBURY, RG20 6QS/
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