"Radio Ronn" lq6dpvk02-at-sneakemail.com wrote in message
. ..

"Frank Dresser" wrote in message
...

"Radio Ronn" lq6dpvk02-at-sneakemail.com wrote in message
. ..

No, HD offers better fidelity capability than analog. (The radio is
a
seperate story.)

What does "fidelity capability" mean?

For one thing, it means stereo.

That's not clear, but I'm assuming you mean better stereo rather than
stereo
capability.

AM HD is stereo.

AM had stereo first, way back in the past. It was so good, the FCC approved
first one, then FOUR different methods for stereo modulation. Holy cats!
The FCC actually thought there might be enough consumer demand to support
four different AM stereo plans. The broadcasters and manufacturers all
jumped in, as well. Everyone loves stereo, right?

Problem was, people didn't like stereo enough to buy another radio. And
it's not as if the radios were real expensive. They wouldn't buy four AM
stereo standards. They wouldn't buy even one.

Actually, people didn't care much about FM stereo, either. FM stereo didn't
reach mass market appeal until it was almost a give-away with the radio.

There might be a lesson there for HD radio. Give it away and maybe people
will listen. But I really doubt ibiquity will give up licensing fees on
their patents and copyrights.


The people who could have expected most NPR stations to end up on FM
were
at
the FCC.

But the people who have made it sucessful were listeners on their
radios.

True. And there are also AM NPR stations who have shared in NPR's
success.

AM stations with NPR programming are marginally sucessful, if at all.

Yet the AM NPR-istas trudge on, day in, day out, relentlessly, against all
hope. At least, if the NPR AM operations fold, they are perfectly qualified
to become IBOC shills!



And I know our local NPR station was broadcasting mostly mono into
the
90s.
I believe it was NPR network policy to broadcast with the stereo
pilot
off
unless the program was in stereo.

I know some did that in the 70's...I have nvever heard of a station
doing
so
after that.

Around 1990 or so, I heard a "World of Radio" episode in which Glenn
Hauser
complimented the FM NPR stations which turned off the carrier for mono
programming, and he complained about the majority of stations which
needlessly left it on all the time.

Glenn Hauser, another one living in the past. I can't think of one NPR
station that shut off it's stereo pilot for mono/talk programs




Ah, living in the past. I can imagine in the future in which the endless
topic of discussion will be the "if only"s. If only the people stuck with a
mass media fractionalized into 100 pieces, rather than go with
individualized media. If only the advertisers didn't wise up to the fact
that the vast majority of mass media spending misses the target. If only
the magic modulation had come 10 years earlier, it would have kept that
internet thing from breaking up the party.

Lucky for Glenn, if he ever does start living in the past, he can look back
at a lifetime as an accomplished DXer and radio broadcaster.

Frank Dresser