"Doug Smith W9WI" wrote in message
...

On the other hand, we do now have "duopoly" in the U.S. - it's now legal
for the same company to own more than one AM station in the same city.

WLAC could, for example, buy WAMB-1160. Convert WAMB to DRM, and use it
to carry the same program (but in digital mode) as WLAC. Once (if!) the
majority of listeners have DRM radios, they could swap stations for a
few years. (converting WLAC to DRM and WAMB back to analog) When the
number of analog radios in use becomes negligible, either shut off WAMB,
sell it to someone else, or start a second DRM station.

Most group owners are still far enough short of the limit for the number
of AM stations they're permitted to own in most major markets, and there
are generally enough "also-ran" small AM stations available to buy. The
coverage of the DRM stations would be less than that of the existing
analog outlets, but if the IBOC adjacent-channel interference from other
stations isn't there then the actual coverage with DRM might well be
*better*.

Yes, but if the second station doesn't increase revenues by increasing
audience, the money is wasted. Not that broadcasters haven't wasted money
like that before, they used to simulcast their AM programming on FM. But
the FCC didn't like simulcasting, and pretty much stopped it.

AM IBOC has been around for a year or two, and it's still something of a
novelty. It doesn't seem to be taking off as quickly as AM Stereo, and
there aren't many receivers available, yet.

I also don't know if there's much of a market for digital radios which
receive the same old stuff that any old cheap radio receives. Maybe if all
the radios were the same price, but IBOC hopes to make money on licensing
fees.

I don't know the bandwidth of full digital IBOC, but if the full digital
bandwidth is the same as DRM, it seems the IBOC has an advantage with the
transitional hybrid system.



Of course, the *right* answer (for the listener, not for the DXer!) is
Eureka on VHF/UHF.
--
Doug Smith W9WI
Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66
http://www.w9wi.com


If we ever manage how to figure out how to put satellites up reliably and
economically, the networks will probably put up high-power, non-subscription
direct broadcast satellites.


Frank Dresser