"Brenda Ann" wrote in message
...

"Monty Hall" wrote in message
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These broadcasters are insane to do things like HD/IBOC to restrict and
limit their already-dwindling audiences. They should be working to
INCREASE their coverage area and listenership; not reduce it.

The only coverage that counts is in their home markets.

DX listeners don't count in the business model.


They don't count because these days some bean counter doesn't care. At
one time, they were quite important, and a large number of high power
stations programmed specifically for them. [/quote]

True. If you look at the ads in Broadcasting Magazine in the 40's, many
talked about mail count from many, many states.

After TV "arrived," meaning the two to three years after the freeze was
lifted, radio at night was barely listened to. So skywave reception (or DXX
reception) became of little use as there were few listeners and fewer
advertisers.

With the advent of Top 40 and rock and roll, a few stations like KOMA and
WKBW and such, in smaller markets but with big night signals, got the teen
audience across large areas. As FM took those listeners and more stations
came on the air, that, too, disappeared.

By the early 70's, there was no use for night skywave in most of America.
After docket 80-90 and with the coming of the Internet, there is totally no
use today.

KWJJ and KGA used to have nighttime
programming aimed specifically at coast to coast truckers and sold time to
businesses that catered to them, such as truck stops, oil companies, etc.

By the late 70's, none of these shows made money.... although stations
continued to carry them since they got good programming on a barter basis.
Most overnight shows didn't take the barter spots in overnight, either. Even
today, to get Coast To Coast you have to run daytime barter spots. Nobody
wants overnight ad time.... even in the big markets.

WSM still figures in distant listeners for the Grand Ole' Opry.

WSM, today, is the the lowest billing of the former 1A and 1B clears. It is
not even in the top 15 locally, with an AM preaching and teaching religious
station outbilling it, even.

Nearly
every station had someone on their staff that would answer signal reports.

That has not been true since the late 60's... even in the early 60's, about
a third of DX reports had to be followed up with a second or third request
to get a verification.