[cma-l] UK-wide AM Applications

[Ian Hickling]

Can I draw your attention to Ofcom's  Licence Application announcement of yesterday:
http://licensing.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/radio/community/1602026/July16_Invitation_for_CR_applications_on_AM.pdfHave a careful read of Section 2, Technical matters - where Ofcom outlines some of the differences between the AM service it is offering and the better-know FM platform.
It's pleasing to see that some of the disadvantages of AM against FM that we have been flagging up have been accepted and laid out by Ofcom.These two sections are particularly interesting:
2.5 These factors have led to a general move from AM to FM listening. Listeners prefer
the better audio quality; stereo with a much wider audio bandwidth and less impulse
noise. Transmitting aerials are much smaller, a few metres at most, and can be sited
more easily on existing structures and rooftops.Broadcasters can process the signal
in order to produce the ‘sound’ of their station. In addition, other services such as
RDS can be broadcast within the FM signal. There is also no loss of coverage due to
night-time interference. Many new radios, especially those with DAB, now no longer
have the ability to demodulate AM signals. 
2.6 FM is not a panacea and its more line-of-sight signal propagation can lead to areas
of poor or no coverage, especially in hilly terrain. In many such cases AM services
will give much more contiguous coverage. FM can also suffer from signal reflections
which can cancel out the wanted service. 
The first is a very far appraisal, but doesn't really go far enough.The second I feel is more like a knee-jerk reaction to all this irritating anti-AM opinion.Views?
Ian HicklingPartnerOffice: 016 3557 8435  (07h to 22h GTS)Car: 075 3098 0115 (only responds when driving)6 Horn Street, Compton, NEWBURY, RG20 6QS

	
        
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