The Ibiquity AM hybrid digital radio scheme provides little consumer
benefits. In fact, it destroys the character, versatility, variety
and utility that has been associated with AM Broadcasting since its
inception 100 years ago.

In any part of the country and with an inexpensive radio and internal
loop antenna you can find a variety of programming, local and national
news, weather, ethnic music, financial shows, political talk shows of
all types and tons of other stuff. It requires no more technology than
what you have in your house or car right now. Standard AM radios
easily pick up stations from nearby counties, cities, and towns making
listening even more versatile.

At night it gets even more interesting. Radio wave propagation through
the ionosphere gives the listener a constant variety of programming
from cities hundreds or even thousands of miles away all with the same
inexpensive radio. Nothing wrong here.

Now, along come some very dubious characters that call themselves
iBiquity (whatever that’s supposed to represent). This nefarious, for
profit, company convinces the Government and investors that they have
a better system (which is licensed by them and only them I might
add). This new system gives “FM quality” to AM radio they claim. But
what they don’t say is that it will totally destroy existing AM radio
as we know it. With strong-arm tactics and FCC blessing they go about
trying to force the broadcasting world to convert to their for-profit
system.

With this conversion consumers start to lose and big business wins.
Along with “FM quality” you lose the character and versatility that
comes with the elegant simplicity of AM radio that has served people
so well for so long. Gone will be the days of hearing stations the
next city or state over. Gone will be the day of using an inexpensive
radio to get local news and weather. What you will have is a
relatively expensive clunky digital radio system that is lucky to
receive stations 20 miles away with any consistency that is designed
to eventually squeeze out any local stations. And forget about FM
quality – it’s just not there in spite of what iBiquity claims.

AM radio still retains some of the character we are all losing in this
so-called high tech society. To allow a for-profit company like
iBiquity steal it away is a crime. For a government agency to allow
this to happen is absolutely criminal.